Considering the vast wealth of deathcore and tech/math core that has assaulted my ears this year, New York’s Abeyance shouldn’t have even registered on the Richter scale, even more so considering their rather questionable choice of label. But as it stands Experience is the Words that are Written is actually pretty solid.

 I’ve seen a lot of Meshuggah comparisons made regarding this album, but I’m sorry folks, I only hear it in passing or when Abeyance force the issue. To these (possibly deathcore overrun) ears, Abeyance are your pretty standard lumbering, staggering hardcore/metalcore meets death metal act with a few ambitious, angular chord progressions thrown in. And that’s fine with me, but By Night or Brutal Fight this is not. In fact, compared to acts like Animosity and Ion Dissonance, Abeyance is pretty simplistic, Antagony would be a better comparison. However, the band that really sprung to mind for me was Dead to Fall, especially vocalist Scott Tobe who sounds just like Jon Hunt and doesn’t feel the need to death up the sound even more with uber low growls.

Starting with the now standard opening rumbling march of “We: The Unsung Heroes” the track then tries to spit out some stuttering, convoluted, DEP like spurts, but its falls a bit flat especially when compared to the rather impressive hefty, streamlined lumber of standout track “Another God Fails”, and even its mid song clean moments are solidly done if clichéd. After some acoustic ‘blahs’ “Moment of Clarity” continues the impressive rumbling nature of the prior track before stumbling into the rather needless instrumental “Eyes Open Slowly”. “In Between Social Graces” has an extended clean section and Scott Tobe does a fine Chad Gray (Mudvayne) impression but the song goes on and on and on. “In the Way we Hangs Our Heads”, “Cliff Notes on Life” and “Residual Image” again go for that angular Meshuggah vibe, but it’s only superficially convoluted rather than truly complex. Tracks like “Parted Like Waves” with its more traditional European inspired metalcore song, with its galloping melodies and stout breakdowns or “….And I truly Walk Alone” with its huge opening riff and hardcore lean are more enjoyable.

Abeyance aren’t as boundary shattering as they think they are. They are a good solid band with some skills and slight delusions of grandeur. When they discover that and focus on pummeling, huge, menacing riffs rather than forced noodling, they might be a force to be reckoned with.

[Visit the band's website]

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