ALBUM REVIEW: In The Dark – Abrams
ABRAMS have been on a constant evolution since their inception way back in 2013. With a hyper focus on melodic hooks set to the backdrop of swirling psychedelia and the brooding elements of 90s alt rock, they have a distinctly moody sound that is the result of colliding a plethora of influences and sounds that inexplicably capture the imagination with fervour. With the addition of Patrick Alberts on guitars, making the band a quartet, ABRAMS have expanded their sound and upped the ante with luscious guitar hooks, brooding grooves and ear worm melodies. Building on 2020’s Modern Ways, In The Dark is a bombastic album from start to finish.
This record is an intense and brooding journey detailing the inherent angers, adrenaline-inducing fears, countless frustrations, and eventual joys of living in world that seems adamant in treading you down. It is also the product of a very fruitful creative spurt for ABRAMS. Coming off the back of Modern Ways when the world was thrust into isolation, the band set to work and demoed 25 new songs for In The Dark. This period also saw Zachary Amster (guitar/vocals) take a deep dive into home recording and production, which helped refine the songs’ structures. With a strong focus and unwavering determination, In The Dark is an incredibly strong, focused and finely-tuned album. Going against the usual heavy psych modus operandi of jamming it all out and working on intuition, and instead opting for a focused and clear songwriting process has enabled ABRAMS to really shine. Moving further away from their “fuzz and dissonance” mantra of their early days and building on the experimentation that they started on Modern Ways, In The Dark is a cinematic and expansive peak in the band’s discography. Every inch of this album has been meticulously laid out, scrutinised and reconstructed to create ten tracks of immense sonic power.
The most intriguing aspect of ABRAMS‘ sound is the plethora of influences that permeate their music. Mixing swirling and whimsical psychedelia with grit and grime of the 1990s alt rock scene is not something you’d expect in this genre; it is a true testament to how heavy psych rock is reaching out, learning from other genres and absorbing them to create new exhilarating soundscapes, melodies and riffs. This genre renaissance needs something a bit more punky and gritty, and ABRAMS provide all that and more on this album. There is an equal split of intensity and delicacy throughout the album, matched by carefully considered dynamic shifts. It creates a distinct ebb and flow that really explores the darker areas of what we are all going through as well as embracing the euphoria of the calm relief after the chaos has faded away. Ultimately, In The Dark is a mature, polished and passionate body of work with an acute sense of urgency yet it does not feel rushed in the slightest.
Like Hell kicks off the album with ginormous riffs and incredible harmonies amongst powerful chords, giving the listener a sharp punch in the face before effortlessly transitioning into the more ominous Death Tripper. This is the most grungy sounding song on the album, embodying the heaviness of recent MASTODON with an epic chorus to boot. From then on, Better Living and In The Clouds see ABRAMS introduce captivating psychedelia, with Amster’s vocal melodies seeming to float over chaotic chorus riffs and gently hypnotising you in the verses. Fever Dreams has a more classic psych feel, with a jangly leads and spaced out, swirling fuzz, yet it still retains the grit that transcends the album. This also carries over into Body Pillow, a track that slows to doom style tempos but with a more SOUNDGARDEN Black Hole Sun vibe, and Leather Jacket.
White Sand opens up with an extremely cinematic and catchy lead guitar melody drenched in reverb and delay that conjures up ideas of a long forested road in rainy Washington, a melancholic anthem for reflection. Title track In The Dark is a moving and emotional track the hits you right in the soul, as if processing a thousand wrongs but still finding a place of safety in the depths of discomfort. Black Tar Mountain finishes the album with a flourish, incorporating the bombastic riffs and delicate atmospheres that you’ve heard throughout the album with delicious vocal harmonies.
There is something intensely magical about In The Dark; this is ABRAMS climbing to the upper echelons of their capabilities. With intense riffs, ornate vocal harmonies and melodies, emotive grooves and a powerfully mature emotional understanding, this album will make you feel intensely and blow you away with the enormity of the sound. This is sure to excite people from across the rock and metal community, such is the appeal of this album.
Rating: 9/10
In The Dark is set for release on September 9th via Small Stone Recordings.
Like ABRAMS on Facebook.