Customer Reviews

Legend

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Legend is a symphonic black metal album that is full of sick riffs, sick drumming, sick keys, and awesome vocals for the most part. The only reason i didnt rate it five stars is due to the few "singing" parts which really aggravate me and take away from the brutality, but the screaming/death vocals are amazing and really bring life to each song. About the keys, they are awesome and are chilling at times and very atmospheric at others, 3:07 seconds into Conqueror Worm and you will know what i am talking about, plus Abigail Williams is a symphonic black metal band so keys are necessary. also Zach Gibson (The Black Dahlia Murder) and Bjorn (Vehemence) play Drums and Gutiar respectively which equals total awesomeness. I would buy this EP just for Watchtower, but all the songs rules and you are cheating yourself if you don't buy it because it is cheap and awesome. if this band ever releases a full length it is going to be amazing.

Before I start my description of this album, it seems to me to be necessary to clear up a few things. First, this isn't Melodic Death metal. While "Death metal" certainly, the influence of Black metal on the band is such that the cord sequences and cords themselves make a categorization of this as "Melodic" impossible. Those who think that worshipping Satan is all there is to Black metal should pay attention to the music. Second, this band, as far as I am aware, has made no claims to being "Black" either. After all, evil sounding cords don't make a band Black metal.

The Review: I have one problem with this EP, musically. I can't seem to figure out where this band wants to go. The first three songs sound all little too much like Black Dahlia, while the last two songs are so close to Black metal, that they almost don't work with the other three -- almost. If you aren't a snob, which means you like Death and Black metal, you should really enjoy this band. While the production isn't excellent (it sounds like the audio tracks have had a little too much compression), the guitar work is solid and the drumming is insane. The keyboards keep things fresh, which is nice since the singing gets a little old by the third song "The Conqueror Wyrm" (which is just a crappy melody to boot).

The lyrics, while fitting right in with the whole "Epic" feel of this album, are a tad too epic for their own good: it sounds like the lyricist was trying WAY too hard to be taken seriously, which ironically means that I can't take him seriously.

Why then the four stars? The music IS epic, which I really like. "Watchtower," by far the best track, is almost too much to take in on the first listen. It also happens to be the most Black metal song on the EP. (What keeps it from being that is some of the guitar work in the middle section.)

I eagerly look forward to this band's future releases. I agree that you shouldn't expect Enslaved or Darkthrone when buying this, just like you shouldn't expect to taste an orange when you bite into an apple (which, indecently, never claimed to be an orange). I apologize to any Kvlt Black kids out there who read this as they undoubtedly couldn't grasp that simile.

I'd like to start by saying that this band sounds absolutely nothing like Enslaved or Darkthrone as other people were comparing them to. Those two bands have an 80's punk sound, terrible production, and quite honestly I don't think they have any talent whatsoever. One thing about black metal is that you don't have to be a good musician to make black metal.

Having said that, this Abigail Williams EP has alot of good things going for it. For instance, some of the musicians in this band were in excellent death metal bands like the drummer, Zach Gibson from Miasma-era Black Dahlia Murder and ex-Vehemence guitarist Bjorn. The drumming is just absolutely incredible. Very fast and precise, which is to be expected from Zach. The guitar riffs are solid and go great with their style of death metal. The only way I could see anybody even comparing this band to black metal would be the vocals which are very high-pitched and screechy. They could be compared to Cradle of Filth's or Enslaved.

The only things I don't like about this EP, are the keys and the singing. Ellylon's keys tend to come on very powerful and wash out the rest of what's going on. They're good though, and not like any other keyboardist. She actually has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition with concentration on Piano. Another thing that just doesn't settle with me is the singing. There is singing on some songs, but there are effects on it that actually blend in very well and make it sound good. These are the reasons I'm giving this 4 stars. Its great music, composed very well with excellent musicians, but with mediocre production.

Drop a couple bucks on this EP, its worth it. Catch them on tour as well.

[...]

Abigail Williams is a really good band and is some of the best symphonic black metal I have heard. The keyboards are especially great.

I stop just short of calling this 5-song outing a masterpiece, the vocals are broad, encompassing some high-pitched "At the Gates" or "Black Dahlia" kind of screaming, with standard Death Metal growls, to some really appropriate clean singing on a few passages. There are a few nitpicks I have with the release, but it should be well known that that's my job as a reviewer. Find the flaws so you feel more educated and don't buy before you leap.

The first song has one and only one flaw... they almost perfectly rip off a riff from Dark Tranquillity's "The New Build."

This is immediately forgiving in the next track, a melodeath masterpiece "Like Carrion Birds." This is my favorite track on the EP... the opening riff being enough to hook me, and has some of the best power metal solos heard in a melodeath album.

"The Conqueror Wyrm" begins with a synth intro that feels appropriately but they lose a tad of steam when the guitars pick up by borrowing a riff pattern from Amon Amarth's "Runestones to my Memory," specifically the verse riff. The slow breakdown borrows heavily from In Flames... song not coming to memory. Criticism aside, everything I'd want from a melodeath record.

"The Watchtower" starts out with a middle eastern feel (using phrygian notes) and is a nice speedy tune where you get to hear very close up how the vocalist gets his banshee wail. This song also brings in a teutonic-sounding chorus that reminds me of some other Black Metal bands before launching into an atonal jazz solo that while not completely original... is virtuoso level in technical skill. The song moves into a very Emporer-esque sound about 1:40 from the end and manages to blend in several styles.

"Procession of the Aeons" starts out like an Abazogorath tune, definitely the blackest track on the album. This song is a blend of many different styles, and as such comes out sounding pretty fresh. The Black Metal speed carries throughout and is wonderful.

In conclusion, this collection of 5 songs should be promptly purchased by open-minded fans of metal. They cross so many metal genres that it is at least a fresh take if not necessarily original, and is more than the sum of its parts.

I really don't have anything bad to say about this album except that I really didn't care for the first track. The problem is, since this is an EP, that means there's only 4 songs left. Fortunately, those 4 songs are as brutal and punishing as any I've heard in a while. My personal favorite is track 3 "The Conqueror Worm". It really has a dark driving sound that's both ethereal and melancholic at the same time. The final two tracks "The Watchtower" and "Procession of the Aeons" are equally as good as "Worm". I only wish there were more songs to listen to on this CD. But that's the downside of making an EP.

I disagree with the people who say because Abigail Williams is an American Band that they are somehow subordinate to the European bands of this genre. In my opinion, Abigail Williams does have a slightly European sound, but maintain a distinct and unique flavor that sets them apart. Like Cradle of Filth, they're not really Black Metal so much as extreme Metal. In conclusion, I will be getting more of their stuff.

First off, I'd like to address that Abigail Williams is a standard American melodic metal band, NOT a black metal band in any way. As much as I hate pigeonholing music into genres, I just thought that I'd let people know when they know of this band.

Overall, this EP is good. This has some good melodic parts thrown in by former Vehemence guitarist Bjorn. Vocals are okay, but the singing vocals can get kind of annoying at times ("From A Buried Heart" is an example). The keyboards blend in well with their music.

If you enjoy music in vein to the Black Dahlia Murder, The Funeral Pyre, Light This City, and Darkest Hour, you may enjoy this. Don't expect this to be the next Enslaved or Darkthrone, though.