ALBUM REVIEW: Woe – An Abstract Illusion
Following on from their debut album Illuminate The Path, Swedish purveyors of intricate and atmospheric death metal AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION have returned with their sophomore effort, titled Woe.
The chillingly sad introduction of The Behemoth That Lies Asleep opens the album, which cracks apart into a deeply morose segment of wailing guitars and clean, almost lamenting vocals. It becomes immediately apparent that Woe is not just a clever name for this album, it is thoroughly soaked to the bone in sadness. Slaves is our first glimpse into AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION’s heavier side. It offers up a smorgasbord of riffs, some very definitely superior to others, some prog-leaning, some bone-splinteringly heavy. Whether you like them or not, however, they aren’t settled on for long and are oftentimes fiercely original, requiring multiple listens to really let them sink in.
It should be noted at this point that this is not just the crusty, blackened death metal of yesteryear, this is a glimpse into a brave new world, perfectly encapsulated by Tear Down This Holy Mountain, which opens with a folkish, almost druidic section which utilises percussion, woodwind, strings and gentle synthscapes to create an atmosphere best described as standing on the edge of a misty clifftop, staring ashen-faced at the grey horizon. This is before a tremendous blast beat bursts loose, lending the track both some brutal simplicity and a brief respite from the cerebral prog that surrounds it. This track also includes the first hint at the electronic influences carried by the band. Its mid-section is an unexpected delight.
Prosperity is a roiling thundercloud of murky atmosphere and battering rhythm work which at times almost sounds like a better version of MESHUGGAH (try to guess which segment in question…). When the blistering riffs finally fade, we are left only with a haunting piano line which flows straight into Blomsterkrans, a track largely built around piano and strings. It is wonderfully composed; it oozes with melancholy and is one of those classical pieces that will assuredly find all the little cracks in your heart and tug at them remorselessly, becoming more than a little reminiscent of LUDOVICO EINAUDI’s heart-shattering soundtrack to This Is England. The one criticism that could be wrung out from this piece is that the band entering towards the end feels somewhat unnecessary when the listener would likely have already been spellbound by the bare bones of the track. Phenomenal stuff.
After the emotional rollercoaster of the last track, In The Heavens Above, You Will Become A Monster gets us straight back into business with a straightforward bit of death metal, all roaring menace and furious riff work at first, which slowly lifts like clouds after a storm into lighter and more melodic territory, even introducing some stellar clean female vocals towards the closing moments. This Torment Has No End, Only New Beginnings starts things off with a triumphant slew of gleaming chords before stepping up the heft into a chugging powerhouse interspersed with vicious blasting passages and clean serenity. It’s a heady mix but it is the correct choice to round the album out, as the cathartic weight of the piece cannot be overstated.
It is rare that an album designed to be consumed as a single piece which runs at almost an hour in length does not begin to collapse under its own weight, particularly in its later moments. This is categorically not the case with Woe. AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION have produced a rare beast indeed, an album that sits firmly in the quality end of the extreme metal camp, that smoulders with emotional maturity and wears its supremely eclectic influences firmly on its sleeve. It sinks into your memory and leaves you both itching for more and longing to return. Do not sleep on this one, it is truly excellent.
Rating: 9/10
Woe is out now via Willowtip Records.
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