All good things come in threes with Static Abyss.
Three years after their second album, Greg Wilkinson (guitar/bass, Autopsy, Brainoil…) and Chris Reifert (vocals, Autopsy, ex-Death, ex-Abscess…) have teamed up with Chad Gailey (drums, Necrot, Mortuous, live for Autopsy…) for their third album, The Dying Hunt, with the continued support of Peaceville Records.
They dive right into the thick of things with Skull Blasted” an opening track that’s fairly straightforward with potent and virulent old-school roots, yet doesn’t shy away from a few quirks, notably with melodies that are as gentle as they are unsettling while Chris bellows. The mix remains highly effective, just as on Lobotomized at Last, which also makes use of keyboards to support its raw, choppy riffs, showcasing a catchy groove between bursts of blast beats that trample our minds and deliver a fierce rhythm. The contrast with the few calmer sections – such as the theatrical final – is perfectly handled, as is the arrival of the title track The Dying Hunt and its heady Death’n’Roll touches, followed by majestic and harrowing moments before another acceleration; yet the pattern repeats itself, and the track offers great diversity before shifting to the grindcore influences of the short Wall of Delusion and its contagious violence. A return to a more classic Death Metal on Once a Corpse (Always a Corpse), the next track that erupts without warning, sticking to an effective approach that sprinkles in just the right amount of dissonant harmonics from time to time before making them truly unsettling on Bleeding in the Fog, a track that perfectly lends itself to ’80s horror movies thanks to its oppressive atmosphere. The speed-ups remain violent and satisfying, while Sinew Leech adds an extra touch of intoxicating madness, once again ensuring a sharp contrast between the track’s different sections—at times even borrowing Death/Doom’s heaviness. Nowhere Forever takes over with a similar formula, offering both solid, uncompromising passages and more atmospheric moments designed to make us nod our heads more gently while savoring the hazier tones. The track is quite long, unlike Defleshed & Forlorn which returns to organized chaos and jagged riffs to pound us before Volcanic Womb takes over, and although it lasts longer, it initially follows the same path. The track naturally slows down and returns to its imposing tones before giving way to Darkness at the End of the Light, the final composition, which remains anchored in its heavy, slow pace to better overwhelm us in the first half, then suddenly gives in to rage to surprise us and bring the album to a spectacular close.
Static Abyss takes a direction that’s at times a bit different from their first two releases, and while the addition of an extra member may have something to do with it, The Dying Hunt stands out for its effectiveness, but also for its surprises.
85/100
