ALBUM REVIEW: Phylogenesis – Abysmal Dawn

It has been a long, long six years since we last heard from LA death metal outfit ABYSMAL DAWN. Though the outfit, led by mastermind Charles Elliot, have kept themselves busy on the live front since the release of the incredible Obsolescence, their return with a new album has been long awaited. Armed with a new partnership with Season of Mist, do Elliot and co. recapture the magic of Obsolescene with their newest offering, Phylogenesis, or is this too little, too late for a genre already bursting with quality?

Mundane Existence bursts from the speakers with little fanfare, opting to drive into a crushing, HATE ETERNAL-esque opening barrage of brutality. Elliot barks his lyrics at high speed, only slowing down around the midway point before bursting into a vibrato-heavy, divebomb solo and one final blast of aggression to close out the opening track. There’s little opportunity to catch a breath here, with ABYSMAL DAWN never letting up the intensity, and this really sets the tone for what’s to come across the rest of Phylogenesis.

The Path of the Totalitarian keeps the high-octane aggression progressing, with bursts of melody keeping things interesting, while Hedonistic brings a filthy, ear-worm groove to the fore in excellent fashion. This is one of the first opportunities ABYSMAL DAWN use to highlight the catchiness if their songwriting, and is one of the more memorable tracks on Phylogenesis. Driving into the halfway point of the album, A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity brings a healthy dose of the blackened death metal stylings Elliot and co. perfected with Obsolescence, mixing that with some classic CANNIBAL CORPSE worship to great effect.

Absolutely laden with grooves, of both the techy and neck-snapping variety, Coerced Evolution is an absolutely levelling listen, crashing through the speakers with all the subtlety and grace of a bulldozer, before True to the Blind continues the groove-heavy, stomping attack. Soul Sick Nation keeps this trend moving, blending up-tempo aggression with a crushing groove and creating an infectious atmosphere that covers the track in a dark murk. As a highlight moment, Fredrik Folkare of UNLEASHED and FIRESPAWN fame lends his world-class soloing chops here, appearing as the only guest musician on Phylogenesis.

Now well into Side B, ABYSMAL DAWN unleash the closing double-tap of The Lament Configuration and Flattening of Emotions. The Lament Configuration creates a very sinister atmosphere from the off, before crashing in with the full force of an atom bomb. The longest track on Phylogenesis, here the band make excellent use of the space progressing from groovier to more eviscerating passages with ease. Some atonal, dissonant soloing makes way for a punishing blast of heaviness before the track fades out, and the steady rhythm of Flattening of Emotions makes its presence known. Some more stunning solo work – an element that has really stood out across the entirety of Phylogenesis – and dual harmonies offer a brief moment of alleviation before ABYSMAL DAWN brutalise their way to the closing seconds of the DEATH cover, ending the record in thunderous fashion.

In a world of instant gratification, six years is a long wait for a new record. But rest assured, Phylogenesis is worth every second of patience. From the opening salvo of Mundane Existence right through to the crushing close of Flattening of Emotions, Elliot and co. leave little room to catch a breath. Though the increased use of technicality at the expense of many of the blackened death metal elements that made Obsolescence so special stings, there is an urgent sense of viciousness to Phylogenesis that the band have never achieved before – and the guitar work from Elliot, particularly in his soloing, is better than ever. The presence of ABYSMAL DAWN at the forefront of the death metal scene has been greatly missed.

Rating: 8/10

Phylogenesis is set for release April 17th via Season of Mist. 

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