ALBUM REVIEW: Abyss – Might
Emerging from the dark depths of the Lower Saxony city of Hannover, Germany, is the atmospheric doom/post-rock duo that is MIGHT. Blending a vast array of musical elements that span black metal, sludge, doom, post-rock and shoegaze, MIGHT have a distinct sound rooted in atmospheric gloom, with an innate raw power that comes from a band that does not make compromises when it comes to expressing themselves. Abyss is the duo’s second album; it follows on from their eponymous debut and sees the band begin to feel more comfortable and settled in their sound. Moving away from the frantic nature of their debut, Abyss introduces MIGHT in a more sophisticated and eerie manner.
The eerie and disembodied voices that speak to you on Abyss are haunting, leaving an indelible mark on your mind. With a gloomy and gothic sense of purpose, MIGHT seem to be channelling the phantoms of ages past that have been locked away in an ominous and foreboding haunted house that sits upon a perilous clifftop as storms rage around it. Yet through this eerie chaos lies an otherworldly comfort bringing with it a familiar sense of hope in a world that is ever free falling into absolute despair. Under thick layers of bass and guitar are delicate layers of piano alongside the ghostly tones of Ana Muhi’s voice which blur the lines of tragedy and hope, finding peace within an almost euphoric melancholy. Intensely atmospheric, Abyss is a journey through the abrasive and the subtle, combining contrasting complex emotions into one tumultuous collection of songs that defy description.
From the off Abyss is already a vast improvement on the band’s self-titled album. With the band performing as a more cohesive unit, MIGHT deliver their music with a harder hitting punch than they have done previously. However, the album unfortunately falls into an acquired taste category. The recurring piano motif and overarching narrative founded in love connects the songs together neatly, but the abrasive nature of the other songs aids in confusing this message or losing it entirely. There is a strong foundation for the songs to develop and expand further but MIGHT fail to take those opportunities, as some sections feel unfinished. Alongside this, the majority of the album feels like an internal conversation between Muhi and Sven Missullis, with too many things being left open to interpretation, leaving a degree of ambiguity that may lose the attention of some listeners. Whilst there are some redeeming features within the heavier riffs, the disjointed flow of the album alongside the band’s desire to be unnaturally ominous feels clunky and sometimes difficult to listen to.
Opening the album is Naked Light, in which you are introduced to the underlying piano and riff ideas that transcend the album, with haunting voices circling around you. This leads into Lost – a black metal-imbued gothic metal rager. Settling into a dark groove, this is one of the more complete sounding songs on the album, bringing a fire and passion to proceedings. Abyssses lulls you into a fever dream of doom and feedback loops. The dual vocals of Muhi and Missullis converse to the backdrop of compressed, fuzzy drums and droning guitars. Circles is a disappointing song as it cannot make up its mind as to what it wants to be, starting off as an alt rock rager, rolling into doom before ending up sounding like a B-side by THE CURE.
Tightrope Walk sees the band in more comfortable light, with technical folk guitars and Muhi’s vocal range explored further in a more pleasant way. How Sad A Fate again flips the coin on the album’s direction, once again muddying up the messages of the album. Shrine is a punky, fast track that utilises the abrasiveness of black metal, which feels more comfortable for the band as they can let loose in a more uninhibited manner. Lucky Me follows on in a similar manner, loading the second half of the album with gut-busting riffs in a way that comes across as a more comfortable genre for the band to be writing in. Album closer Holy Wars brings the album to an end in a sadly disappointing way, detracting from the record’s earlier moments of abrasiveness with an ill-fitting atmospheric goth rock track.
Ultimately, for all its merits, Abyss is a confused album. Whilst it is no bad thing to crossover genres and take elements from elsewhere, there needs to be a solid ground in which those elements can be built upon. This comes across as it feels like MIGHT show uncertainty in their direction which hinders their ability to fully express themselves. You can see the artistic ideas forming but it currently takes the shape of a piece of outsider art, making it an acquired taste.
Rating: 5/10
Abyss is set for release on August 26th via Exile On Mainstream.
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