ALBUM REVIEW: Abyss – Ad Infinitum
Since bursting onto the scene in 2020 AD INFINITUM have been nothing short of prolific. With the release of Abyss the Swiss/German quartet are already four albums in and it feels like they’re just getting started.
The new album isn’t so much of a leap into the unknown as a natural progression and evolution. Those early records were deep into symphonic metal and the grandiose styling that comes with it. But on Abyss, while those elements remain, they’ve been streamlined and refined into what feels like a much tighter structure. The result is an album with much more of a mainstream sensibility, but this is not by any means a pop album.
There’s been a lot of talk online about how Abyss has moved too far away from the band’s roots, and the group has become too commercial. But that simply isn’t the case. Those pop elements have always been there. The only difference is, that this that this time they’ve been given more room to breathe.
One of the best examples of this comes on opener My Halo. The stripped-back vocals from Melissa Bonny and strong chorus are the definition of radio-friendly, but the guttural screams that turn the song towards its conclusion serve as a reminder that the band can still ramp up the heaviness when required. By contrast, Follow Me Down carries much more of a bite from the outset. The riffs are heavier, and their intent more menacing. But that chorus still shines through like a beacon of light, although the scream that acts as an echo reminds listeners that darkness is never too far away.
Outer Space is brought to life by a stunning show of brute force from Bonny. Her scream is beautifully uncompromising, but it quickly gives way to something much lighter that floats across the track. The switches between light and heavy almost mirror the chaotic journey into space and then the peace found in orbit.
The following track Aftermath features a fun breakdown, but it’s more solid than spectacular. While Euphoria leans heavily on the ‘stripped-back verse into grandstand chorus’ formula. But let’s not forget that it’s a formula that exists because it’s a formula that works. It might not be the most groundbreaking track on the album but it does everything it needs to.
Surrender is by far the most pop-friendly moment on the album but all not what it seems. A pulsing synch-pop melody carries the track through the opening verse but that gives way to a thunderously jarring breakdown. This paves the way for the second verse that carries the same melody with a gritty guitar. The track continues to be littered with contrasts that keep the listener guessing, but it remains on message.
On the surface, it might sound like a lazy comparison, but on Anthem For The Broken the band enjoys its EVANESCENCE moment. The melody progressions, the piano, the earworm of a chorus, and the stunning vocals are all there. But it still carries just enough differences to keep things sounding like AD INFINITUM and crucially, it works. If that track was more cute than crunching, The One You Hold On To immediately snaps things back onto heavier territory. It carries the same charm as its predecessor, but the central riff gives the song a whole new flavour.
Parasite takes the band back to its heavier roots, but it’s the towering solo that tips the emotion over the top. In an ideal world, the album would have ended there, because its only real low moment is the one that rounds it out. On Dead End, the jarring contrasts that have just about been kept in check throughout finally clash too awkwardly to ignore. It’s unfortunate because 80% of the track is great, but the synths in the chorus just work. It sounds like they were added after the song was finished, and feel unnecessary.
Despite its clunky ending Abyss is more than worth sinking some time into. It’s occasionally a little too formulaic and safe, and the production might be a bit too clean, but the high points outweigh those negatives. Abyss needs to be judged as the album it is, rather than the album people thought it should be. And on that basis, it would be tough to feel disappointed.
Rating: 7/10
Abyss is out now via Napalm Records.
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