ABIGAIL WILLIAMS – Becoming
- Posted on 04-12-2011
This album came as a bit of a surprise to me. Last time I checked, which was admittedly a few years ago, Abigail Williams were a metal core act that dabbled with symphonic BM. Fast-forward to modern times and they have evolved into a fully fledged Black Metal band. Who would have guessed!
The sound is still a bit of a hybrid, to be honest, only these days I don’t have a problem with it because it feels so authentic. The black metal parts are fast and grim but with a majestic, slightly depressive underpinning. The next component of the AW sound is a type of slowed-to-a-crawl post-core that focuses on carving bleak soundscapes of crashing cymbals and soaring leads. The final element is a symphonic aspect that sees the inclusion of strings and subtle keyboards that help the mood and feed the air of majesty. With only six tracks over 55 minutes, you can tell that AW really went for it this time, trying to create as compelling a musical odyssey as possible.
It works for the most part and even when it doesn’t, you feel like applauding the band’s efforts anyway. This is definitely an album that you will find different layers in as time goes on. My only problem is that sometimes the listener becomes unstuck in the meandering songs, much like a man who loses his direction in a fog. If the songs had been that bit stronger, perhaps they would have held the attention better, but still… it is a rather pleasant fog…