Release
date: May
8th
2020. Label: New
Heavy Sounds.
Format: CD/DD/
Abyss
– Tracklisting
1.Insanity
08:25
2.Fade
And Melt 04:59
3.Weed
Dream 04:06
4.Amusement
Park Of Terror 02:54
5.Forked
Road 03:12
6.Chained
04:39
7.Sleepless
Night 05:40
8.Sun
07:17
Members
Guitar/Vox
-
Yuko Morino
Drums
- Chia
Shiraishi
Review
Abyss
is the 2nd full length album from Japanese
Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal duo BlackLab and follows their acclaimed
debut album Under the Strawberry Moon released back in 2018. There
heavy bleak and blackened doom outlook on life was a great record
showcasing a band who weren’t afraid to create heavy bleak
monolithic soundscapes with some epic distorted Doom/Sludge Grooves
to match.
Abyss
follows where Under The Strawberry Moon left off with heavy distorted
bleak Doom based grooves with a menacing flair to then that has
direct influences such as Black Sabbath, Sunn 0))) and Electric
Wizard being used a point of reference and this is where the fun
starts as BlackLab run amok with Psychedelic sounds that move onto
the next batch of heavy riffs to demolish your hearing with.
Opening
song – Insanity – is a heavy nightmarish experience of aggressive
Sludgy guitars and distorted riffs that move along at a not so
comfortable place as the talented duo of BlackLab pay homage to Black
Sabbath on this song but with a more Drone based sensibility to their
music. The vocals are bittersweet and demonic at different stages of
the album. As the gloomy atmosphere even allows the band to play
moments of Fuzz Rock, Shoegaze and Punk Rock with deeply satisfying
gloomy results.
Second
song – Fade And Melt – gets straight down to business of seeing
the band continue playing their bittersweet/demonic personas with
heavy down-tuned doomy guitars and glitchy sound effects to match.
The song is dangerously exciting with the guitar and drums of Yuko
and Chia respectively having a true Punk Rock sound despite the band
belonging in a totally different style of music as well. Yuko’s
vocal impressive range is excellent with Yuko being all sweet-natured
one moment and then truly demonic the next.
Third
song – Weed Dream – a sinister sounding Weedian nightmare with
BlackLab embracing a more “Stoner” outlook with their music. As
the music is more fast=paced and less doom-centric compared to other
songs on the album. The guitars are fast-paced and quite off-key in
places but there is a subtle charm and brilliant heaviness that makes
everything work.
BlackLab
continue with their bewitching style of Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal with
the rest of the album. As the album only continues to become more
sinister and heavier with BlackLab being confident with the wide
range of different musical styles they employ on this album.
Standout
songs include: Amusement Park Of Terror, Chained, Sleepless Night and
Sun.
BlackLab
proved on their debut album that they were a very hard band to
categorize and define and ABYSS is no different with the band perhaps
playing heavier sounds compared to their debut album. Expect the
unexpected with ABYSS. As BlackLab have a few tricks up their sleeves
to standout from the crowd and play some truly original
Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds of their own.
Excellent
and Highly Recommended.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks to Simon from
For The Lost for the promo. Abyss is available to buy now on
CD/DD/Vinyl from New Heavy Sounds.
Links:
