ALBUM REVIEW: ABEYANCE – alt.
Abeyance is a state of temporary disuse or inactivity. This does not apply to Australian rock band ALT. who have been blazing a trail since 2019. Hailing from Adelaide, the trio are made up of guitarists Simon Aistrope and Daniel Wells-Smith and vocalist Daniel Cullen-Richards and have earned a reputation for their live shows, opening for the likes of SLEEP TOKEN and NORTHLANE. After the release of their debut EP dysfunctional earned them critical acclaim, ALT. began working on what they hoped to be their second EP, however the seven songs planned for the record soon turned into ten songs, which now make up their debut album.
Across those ten songs, ALT. do not hold back. Right from the get-go on PARASITE they launch into a brutal two-minute opener that has everything from heavy metal instruments to a fantastic breakdown. You’d expect the band to unleash some screams, and while that does happen, they also throw in some electronic elements and some rapping, which work really well together. The band are smart enough to not explore those elements too deeply in the opening song, so as to not throw all their eggs into one basket.
Instead, WRAITH does that perfectly. Whilst some comparison with nu-metal bands such as LINKIN PARK is inevitable, ALT. put their own little spin on it, incorporating a more electronic rock focus to the song. It is a fantastic expansion of what they set up in the opening song and something that continues throughout the album. Not only is this helpful when it comes to tone, but also for pacing. The album is generally mid-tempo, and each song gets plenty of time to make an impact on the listener. Even when the more melodic rock songs, such as A.D.D. and BACK TO EARTH are playing, the overall pacing remains steady.
Saying that, the band do lean more into a melodic rock sound during the latter half of the album. There are still elements of heavy metal, but ALT. show that they can confidently conquer multiple genres, whether that is anthemic arena rock or electronic punk. The heartfelt THE ONLY GOOD THING is a gorgeous love song that is essentially the band opening up their ribcage and letting their heart do the talking. It is a highlight on the album and it’s the sort of track that could be played at weddings for years to come.
Whilst the band do sound confident and play around with different genres, they do unfortunately lose touch with the heavier side of things by the end of the album. Obviously this will be welcome for some, as it means that the band are opening up to a wider audience, and it is a bit like going on a journey with the band throughout the album. However, because the loss of heaviness is rather abrupt, it doesn’t work as well as what the band were going for. That said, it is still early days for the band yet; they’ve only been around since 2019, so they have plenty of time to work on these finer points of their craft.
ABEYANCE an impressive debut album, opening up the gates to anyone who wants to have a good time. The band start off heavy and get lighter throughout the album, and while this might be a little detrimental towards the end, ALT. have clearly thrown the rulebook out of the window when it comes to genre. Each song builds upon the other, creating a well-paced album that is accessible and fun to listen to. Whilst it is still early days for the band, they are proof that rock music is in very safe hands.
Rating: 8/10
ABEYANCE is set for release on June 16th via Resist Records/SharpTone Records.
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