Abstracter "Cinereous Incarnate"

  Apocalyptic sounding destruction is what one shall imagine when listening to music from Bay Area based sludge metal juggernauts, Abstracter. Their sound is like a massive shockwave of extreme sounding terror rattling through the Earth and sending listeners into an abyss of endless distorted doom.

  Ever since I reviewed the bands first album, “Tomb of Feathers,” back in 2012 while writing for another website, I have always been mesmerized by the band’s striking dark sounding atmospheres of bombastic sounding sludge and doom. Also, there are a variety of elements incorporated into the band’s sound, so at times you will get some vicious blackened crust jams followed by a slower sludge riff section. This new album, "Cinereous Incarnate," which marks the third full-length album from these guys, is once again quite impressive in terms of sound and just all around extreme sounding devastation. The ambient touches on this album add to an already heavy sound by injecting more abysmal landscapes throughout each song.

  Containing six tracks, the album really does consume you as you listen by providing plenty of moments where you are focused on the sheer ferocity that Abstracter brings to the table. The opening song, “Nether,” contains some explosive sounding riffs and the song’s entire structure was very well pieced out. They are able to expand on basic heavy riffs while at the same time throwing in a few quick sections that reflect a more crust punk approach. The next track, “Cinereous,” is a short haunting ambient piece that is really intended to build up anticipation for, “Ashen Reign,” which hits with tremendous force. The drummer matches the burst of guitar feedback by pounding the utter crap out of his kit and making the music have a strong beating pulse.

  Track four, “Wings go Annihilation,” contains some dark sounding guitar sections and was probably my favorite song off the album. There is definitely more of a black metal side being presented and the diversity of compositions sounded great. Returning to a more ambient style, “Incarnate,” leaves you lost in a world of bleak sounding noises feeling as though you are gazing at the ruins of a fallen city of smoke and ash. Concluding the album, “Devouring Night,” happens to be the most suitable sounding conclusion for an already decimating release. The entire production sounds solid on this track, especially the vocals and how they are delivered by the band’s singer. You really have a hard time trying to find anything wrong with the band, because they all seem to be on the same page and their talents allow for the music to come across with such conviction on each track.

  I do believe Abstracter continues to thrive as they keep releasing new music and this new album is yet another heavy sounding release for fans to blast on their speakers. I need to see these guys live, because if they sound this heavy on their albums, seeing them live will blow me straight out of the venue. Extreme music is still thriving here in 2018 and Abstracter’s music is definitely helping the uncompromising brutality continue for us fans to enjoy.



Check out "Ashen Reign" below:

Co-released by the following labels:

- Sentient Ruin (LP/tape/digital - US/One of my favorite labels) - Vendetta Records (LP - EU)
- I, Voidhanger Records (CD)
- Tartarus Records (tape - EU)
- Daymare Recordings (CD - Japan)