Abigail Williams : "A Void Within Existence"

Abigail Williams is one of the rare American Black Metal bands that has stood the test of time as a legitimate representation of what their genre is, with the same level of sonic darkness as their European counterparts. Ken Sorceron is the sole original member, leaving one to assume he is the principal songwriter, and this has always been his band. The first thing I noticed was a bigger sound that pushes them more in the direction of a band like Behemoth.  The guitar work begins to dazzle on the second song after opening the album with a commanding march. 

The most impressive song so far is "Nonexistence," which finds the perfect blend of bleak melody with enough black metal bombast to keep the dynamics balanced. There is also a ripping guitar solo, to assure you these guys have the chops to stand toe to toe with most bands. 'Still Nights" is the counterpoint to this as it hits you with full-on blast beats and the vocals at full scathing roar. It's only marginally broken up by the guitar solo. I like the effects on the vocals that seem to drip onto the rest of the song. 

"Talk to Your Sleep" carries more of a throb, which reflects the darkness that this project best brings to life. The atmosphere brought by the guitar hits the sweet spot of making things sonically heavier. "Embrace the Chasm" coasts along the grandiose storm of your typical black metal sound, with a few more layers of melody packed in thanks to the guitars. "No Less Than Death" closes the album out with more melody, thanks to the sung vocals, which is a more dramatic turn for them. The build is gradual but does get there, with harsher eventually trading off with the singing . I'll give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, but it feels like one of the better black metal albums I've heard this year. 

This album drops July 18th on Agonia. 

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