Ten tracks, 32:41 minutes, the sophomore album by the Canadian Abandon All Ships are a tumultuous merging of electronic layers and grinding Hardcore raging. Labeled “Metalcore”, Post-Hardcore, incorporating Trance and even Electro-Pop elements, this new type of Metal targeting a new generation of teenagers lost between Facebook and escapades down in the club with fake IDs. I do not mean to be Infamous, but no sneakers, no cry!!
The music is dark, furious, noisy and more heavy then electronic, the Trance inspired breakdowns, breathing pauses are only accentuate the violence and explosion of the contorted, heavy parts.
While the opening
“Good Old Friend” sounds like a remix of one 80’s Ministry song, the “new blues”, eventually a radio-friendly ballad is “August” and in the other extreme, the most aggressive track is “American Holocaust”. In between, the boys are delivering everything you can think of from bloody, murderous riffing to quietly flowing electronic layers and from death howls to almost childishly singable choruses.
After spending a year and a half on tour supporting their debut record ‘Geeving’, touring North America & Europe with heavyweights such as We Came As Romans, Of Mice & Men, Protest The Hero, Miss May I, & many more including the 2011 Vans Warped Tour, the band returned to City Tape Studios in their hometown of Toronto Ontario Canada to begin working on the next record.
Teaming up with the same production team Medeuxa, (made up of Anthony Calabretta & Mark Spicoluk) that helped craft Geeving, the band took their unique brand of Euro infused hardcore to new heights, opening the door to many new influences, and not letting anything hold them back.
Launching 2012 with a completely sold out US tour with label mates Sleeping With Sirens, & embarking on this summers Scream It Like You Mean It Tour (with We Came As Romans & Attack Attack), the band have already started mapping out a tour schedule more rigorous than the one that brought them here today.
The album debuted at number 142 on the billboard 200, selling over 3500 copies in its first week.
Tracklist:
01. Good Old Friend (2:35)
02. Infamous (feat. A Game) (3:25)
03. Less Than Love (3:18)
04. Ahmed (2:28)
05. American Holocaust (feat. Jonny OC) (2:54)
06. August (3:45)
07. Forever Lonely (3:48)
08. Made Of Gold (4:04)
09. Faded (3:20)
10. Brothers For Life Feat XbikerackX (3:02)
I’m not gonna pretend that I actually understand this new generation and I’m not gonna say that this mixture of Trance with Post-Hardcore might be a solution to refresh the sound of the Metal scene, but if the kids like and enjoy this mixture, I think it’s the only thing what really matter and Abandon All Ships do a pretty good job, “Infamous” sounds pretty intense and convincing. Probably in a few years this “genre” will be outdated and forgotten, but who gives a shit about tomorrow when you’re 16?!
Abandon All Ships – Official Site
Abandon All Ships – YouTube Channel
Abandon All Ships @ MySpace
Abandon All Ships @ Facebook
Abandon All Ships @ Twitter
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrGtUMm1f3M&w=545&h=307]
