‘A wavering path’ is the stunning debut album from French crew Under the abyss, a band who take their cues from a variety of metal acts new and old over the course of eleven varied, skull-crushing tracks. Furiously heavy and yet deeply melodic, there is nothing transitory or forgettable about Under The Abyss’ gutsy delivery and, with nods to the hook-laden thrash of Evile and Trivium, the band have a contemporary sound that offers both gloss and depth with its glistening production and excellent musicianship.
Opening with ‘the descent’, Under the abyss are keen to make their mark from the off with an acoustic introduction reminiscent of the opening to ‘battery’. It’s a well-worn tactic but one which never fails to work and as the sound swells towards the brutal riffing and throaty roars of ‘Stoneskin’ with its pummelling percussion, tunefully delivered vocals and searing riffs. This is pure mosh-pit heaven, the furious riffs delivered at break-neck pace, whilst the vocals tether the track to the more melodic territory of vintage Metallica and Megadeth rather than the more aggressive, death-metal attack of Slayer. ‘I forgot who I am’ is similarly themed, neatly split between the metallic assault of the guitars and the soulful vocals which are delivered with melodic intensity rather than overt aggression, although there are plenty of teeth-rattling roars delivered over the brutal, neck destroying chorus that has all the traits of megadeth’s finest moments with its brutal riffs and crystal-clear production. ‘Dead inside’ comes burning out of the gates with a sound that recalls Trivium’s monstrous ‘entrance to the conflagration’, the melody equally addictive, the guitars played with similarly pristine intensity. It is a fine track and it demonstrates the level of effort Under the Abyss have put into mastering their respective instruments.
Clearly in the grip of a powerful bloodlust, Under the abyss launch into the devastating aural assault of behind the eyes of ignorance’ which throws in massive dive bombs, squealing pinch harmonics and the sort of riffs that make you want to head bang your way into a neck brace. ‘Despicable life’ does nothing to dull the brutal pace, indeed with the vocals delivered in a guttural roar, it is clear that UTA are upping the ante yet further, and with its gang vocal chorus and punishing riffs you can easily imagine this becoming a mosh pit favourite just as it is already a highlight of the album. Finally easing the pedal off the metal, ‘against the dreams’ offers up a well-written ballad that introduces an element of light and shade into the album’s otherwise full-on dynamic before ‘way of life’ sends the temperature soaring once more with a massive riff that drills straight into your skull as the percussion detonates around you like high explosive rounds. ‘Another day to survive’ is slower, with an intricate riff, and yet still heavy enough to keep the blood pumping; ‘the will to change’ is equally on the money with churning riffs and a melody memorable enough to lodge in your brain for a millennia or two, the Trivium comparison once again especially strong here. Final track ‘buried alive’ ends the album on a furiously heavy note and leaves you in no doubt of the skill and power of UTA in full flight.
Under The Abyss are an act who have gleefully assimilated the best elements of their influences and, with the aid of some stunning musicianship and production, utilised these to craft an album that mixes aggression and melody in a powerful blend that will easily get you slamming around your room in glee until your sweaty and exhausted. If you like your metal laden with hooks, classic solos and huge, gleaming choruses, then this is undoubtedly for you – an unexpectedly brilliant debut album from a band who have the potential to be huge.
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