Midheaven

The Human Abstract

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: August 19, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hopeless Records
• ASIN: B001B92E7G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,967 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Their sophomore full-length is a puzzle box of sorts, meticulously crafted and defying the expectations of a typical metal band. Sweeping solos, chugging guitars, and technical drum beats underlie lyrics about intensely creative thought and expression.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars do not get if you're expecting Nocturne part 2, August 20, 2008

By	Steven Wallace "white boy" (springy dingy, MO MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Midheaven is an album to definitely get for all fans of technical music. If you are a fan of metalcore and breakdowns then this album is not for you.

Human Abstract's first full length "nocturne" was a huge and grand album that simply swung from huge guitar riff to another but bigger and grander and faster guitar riff to breakdown to breakdown. They simply showed all of the other bands that you could play lightning fast riffs and sweeps while playing songs of that genre.

This album is completely different.
It is not driven by guitars.
It is driven mostly by vocals and drums.

The mix on the drums stands out so much to me. In videos about production of this album the producer wanted the drums to be played in one take and not have a lot of cutting and pasting within the tracks. Human Abstract's drummer, who is amazing, met the challenge and was rewarded with a mix in the album higher than that of just about everything than the vocals.

Technically there are still sweeps and really fast riffs and amazing guitar work in some of the songs, but you really need to listen to this album on headphones to hear it all. This is not an album to blast when people come over, this is an album to listen to on your own.

The first two tracks are the closest to Nocturne. Track 3 starts off like a challenge to old school BTBAM and Dillinger Escape Plan to show that THA can also write extremely fast, off time songs that are extremely heavy and brutal... but this only last for a minute and does not transition well into the rest of the song. it simply stops and a whole new idea for a song begins never again shadowing anything heard in the first chaotic minute.

Overall, I really do like this album and do not want to show this review as a bad one.

"nocturne" simply destroyed the current metalcore scene and I think many people will be expecting an album bigger than that.

This album is a think piece... creative lyrics... well written and catchy choruses. Technical music is woven into the entire album and is not the main ear catching reason to get this.

I do like it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

but I do wonder how some of the tracks that are "softer" will translate into a live show also? that remains to be seen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some of you old fans will NOT like this album!!!!!!!!!!!, August 29, 2008

By	T. Reid "Very Critical" (NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let me start off by saying that this is Experimental Progressive Metal. The last 3 reviews nail it on the head so I won't say too much. The sound is different in a lot of ways. Gone are the heavy breakdown riffs. Screaming seems to be put to certain sections that are very predictable. This sounds like a weaker outing than their last album. Songs are stream lined to the likes of catchy choruses and very tame music. I know they lost AJ Minette but damn man. Was AJ the life of the band????????? New guitarist Andrew Tapley can play with the best of them it seems but maybe he does not have the CREATIVITY of AJ. I don't know but NEXT album I want much harder music like before. Lets give Andrew another chance to WOW us. All in all this album falls short. I was hoping for so much more. That aside I like it but it won't be stuck in my player like Nocturne was.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A credit to pop sensibility., August 26, 2008

By	J. Clark (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Midheaven by The Human Abstract seems to be a fairly significant departure from what they did on Nocturne. In a nut-shell this album is still within the boundaries of the band's distinct style but with some major differences. For one thing, as some other reviews allude to, this album has a much larger ratio of radio-friendly songs than the previous one did. This has a lot to do with the fact that the music is largely driven by the vocals and drums this time around, but also because of songs like Procession of the Fates(a watered-down feel similar to work they did on Nocturne), This World is a Tomb and The Path(almost hoobastank-like pop-metal) and A Dead World at Sunrise(dark and moody but not that interesting).
I am not saying that these are bad songs at all but much of this album has a sort of pop feel to it that makes it catchy and appealing in the beginning but loses my interest in the long run. The real jems on this record are certain sections of songs like A Violent Strike and Breathing life into Devices which have the technical/progressive guitar work and counterpontal rythym lines that made me like the band in the first place. But even these songs don't maintain that intensity all the way through. Not necessarily a bad thing but their dynamically softer sections aren't always that interesting.
There are some things I specifically dislike about this album such as the distorted guitar tones (which sound thin, scratchy and dry at certain points) and the various instances such as in the song Metanoia when the vocalist is doing that political hardcore style talking over the music ala early Shai Hulud (I find that annoying to no end. Politics are fine but talking is for rap music). My dislike of the guitar tones also gives me mixed feelings about the fact that the guitars are mixed considerably lower than the other instruments. If the guitars sounded better I might be more bothered by this but its not that big a deal. All in all this album is fine to have on in the background while doing chores around the house but I don't feel inspired to actually rock out to it or play it at a party. Negative aspects aside, I still think this band has a lot of talent at song writing and I'm sure they'll get their balls back on the next try.