Abel Is Dying
Gazing From The Abyss

THE REVIEW

Here, it is essential to understand in what critical terms we want to express ourselves and what the objectives of the (alleged) critique are, not only limited to the specific realm of the Italian band Abel Is Dying and their musicianship, but understood on a broad scale. What are the criteria by which an album or a band is deemed worthy of appreciation? In absolute value? In reference to the genre they might belong to? Concerning the technical/instrumental value? In consideration of the preferences (or perhaps the weaknesses) of the writer? All of this is definitively subjective and no matter how much the analysis might be circumscribed to the single track, dissecting it in every detail, rather than an investigation on the work as a whole, it can never be evaluated according to a universally accepted, shared, and "true" parameter.

This introduction is to explain a couple of basic concepts to those who might not be familiar with certain mechanisms of journalistic criticism and believe that publishing a 5000-character review has more value than a judgment condensed in twenty words, yet perhaps more capable of conveying the essence of an album, a sound, or a band. Period.

For Abel Is Dying, the issue is simple: if the dish your mom cooks you daily is that of metal-core with death/thrash inflections (as much Scandinavian as American) and you look forward to it every day with eagerness and blinding hunger, then go ahead and embrace "Gazing From The Abyss", the debut work of the Milanese band. If, on the other hand, you believe that the genre, with few variations on the score, has almost given everything it has to offer, give it a moment's thought. The sextet possesses a higher potential than what is showcased in the seven tracks, but they need to have the courage to bring out their individuality and develop a personalized sound, because the expressive power, groove, and sonic violence are already present (on par with the production, the work of AID themselves), they just need to be better directed and managed.