Band's List Melodic Black Abigail Williams Becoming

Based out of Los Angeles, black metal band, Abigail Williams are one of the most creative and expressive musicians in the scene, in my opinion. Every single album that they set out to make is completely different from the previous. Their debut EP, “Legend” no doubt showed more of a metalcore side to AW while their 2008 release “In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns” was more symphonic black metal than anything else. Their next album, “The Absence of Light” shed that image and delivered nothing but raw black metal in its purest form. Now with this latest release, “Becoming” Abigail Williams have managed to open yet another chapter for themselves.

The ambiance of this album is very dark but a prominent sense of elegance and beauty making this probably one of their most brilliant albums to date. “Becoming” shows how far Ken Sorceron has grown as a vocalist and musician. With all the lineup changes that have been happening throughout the years with the band, Ken has been able to pull through strong and continue with something that he truly believes in.

It really is difficult to break down each track for review because it seems to be just a continual connection of darkness and brutality that again is mixed with elegance and beauty but I will try my best. “Ascension Sickness” starts out softly with somber atmosphere and continues with a gradual build up with Sorceron’s vocals supported by Ian Jekelis on lead guitar and Zach Gibson on drums. “Radiance” continues even further into the darkness and has a grittiness to it that I think black metal fans will appreciate. “Beyond the Veil” is one of the longest tracks on here, clocking at over seventeen minutes. This also one of the most brilliant tracks on here although I think they’re all incredibly well done. There is so much going but at the same time it is so well structure that it captivates you from beginning to end.

I will say it again, this is an impossible album to just break down track by track and this is an impossible album to skip from one track to the next. “Becoming” really needs to be listened to as a whole to really understand what the band is doing here. If you’re looking for head-banging, neck-breaking black metal this is not your album. But if you can get beyond that and really listen then you will not be disappointed. This will capture your attention in its entirety, you don’t do not want to miss out!

2012 has been an excellent year for metal so far (as of July 2). Abigail Williams was one of those bands I never paid much attention to because their first two albums were mediocre at best. Until this came out in late January. I'll admit, when I listened to it for the first time, I was less than impressed. Then the more I listened the more I could appreciate it. The replay value is sky high on this one.

The sound is dark, cold and dreary. The whole album is like the soundtrack to a depressing poem. The atmosphere, the mood, and everything about it is pitch perfect. The transitions are nice and the songs get better and better with every listen. This is one of the biggest surprises I've ever come across in a band's discography. I could actually feel the music and all of it's passion and creativity. I had no idea Abigail Williams could create something so hauntingly beautiful. A perfect album.

Everything I could want out of black metal can be found here. The sad, melancholic vocals, the fast paced guitars, and oddly muted drums. I just adore every little artistic choice they made for "Becoming." I adore this album with all my heart and I've found myself never able to skip over one of the tracks when they appear on my MP3 player at random. And that says a lot because the songs are all really long. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. I really want the band to progress with this style of music now with their next album instead of going back to what they were doing before. This side of them is just so much more satisfying and awe-inspiring. Abigail Williams should stay an atmospheric black metal band. Their inclusion of the cello on this record is amazing and they don't over-do it, either.

I think if the only thing I could mention that I didn't like (and this is just a minor nit-pick) was the fact that the fifth track, "Three Days of Darkness", isn't really a song, but more of a transitional piece that connects track four to track six. They could've just easily added it to either the end of track four or the beginning of track six and have just five whole songs. But, as it stands, it's a pretty relaxing little song on it's own. Aside from that extremely minor nitpick, this is by far the best metal album of 2012 (so far - Wintersun still has to release "Time" in early fall) and because of that, I give "Becoming" by Abigail Williams a perfect score of 20/20. A perfect score for a perfect album.