Vehemency Although I’m not the biggest fan of the musical styles presented on various albums I get to review, I’m still able to spot talent, and that I do find from Abacinate’s second full-length Genesis, a real mixed bag of influences.

For the most part, the album is technical death metal, but every now and then the vocals are pure hardcore / metalcore, and at times the music flirts with more apparent melody. For instance, the two-part ”Laughing in the Dark” goes into rather progressive territories, the first part having a surprisingly calmful and melodic ending, then suddenly bursting into metal on the second part. Personally, I really don’t dig the hardcore vocal output, but it does bring me back to my younger years when Biohazard was one of my favourite bands. The hardcore elements aren’t something I would listen to nowadays, but in the middle of all the solidly executed death metal, it’s bearable.

The production is definitely worth meantioning here: it’s very clear and heavy. And modern. That migh become a problem for someone, because Genesis doesn’t quite have the filthy morbidity of old school death metal when it comes to atmosphere. I prefer the latter but I do admit that the production here is done admirably anyways, fitting to the band’s tight style that only gains from the very sharp sound.

As anyone can derive from the above, Genesis isn’t the sort of death metal I truly enjoy and listen to on a daily basis, but I find the music - much thanks to the ass kicking production - effective to the extent that I’d call the album a successful release. Genesis is a recommendable piece for those who enjoy their brutal and technical death metal with a little bit of -core. Also, remember to give these compositions enough time, they aren’t that digestible after all, but do reward eventually.

J-Man Laughing In The Dark

On September 28, 2010, the world of Abacinate suffered a major blow with the death of their new vocalist, Jason Sica. He was only 25 years old and had spent about a year with the band, but his time with them saw Abacinate with possibly their most creative and successful output as of yet. Genesis is Abacinate's second full-length studio album, and certainly an album worth tracking down for fans of technical death metal with some metalcore/hardcore tendencies.

From the first 30 seconds of Genesis, it's so obvious that these guys are from America, and (more specifically) from the northeast scene. Abacinate's sound just reeks of highly-technical death metal infused with metalcore breakdowns, not to mention the diverse and complex vocal patterns. Although this generally isn't my favorite style of music, Abacinate delivers the sound well and professionally. There a few funny lines in-between songs that are akin to more comical grindcore acts (most notably, "What's the point of living... if you don't have a dick?"). I laughed so hard the first time I heard that one! From a musical point of view, Abacinate is a very skillful group of musicians who certainly have no shortage of chops. Jason Sica's style of vocals usually wouldn't appeal to me, but I've actually had a great time hearing him on Genesis. He's a very diverse and talented vocalist who can successfully deliver deep guttural growls, high-pitched shrieks, and metalcore-syled vocals without ever sounding inconsistent. I'm actually reminded of Sven de Caluwé (Aborted, System Divide), which is obviously a good thing. It's a shame Jason was taken from us so soon.

The production is clean, polished, and professional. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's a good mix that fits Genesis perfectly.

Conclusion:

Genesis isn't a terribly unique or groundbreaking masterwork, but it's a more-than-competent technical death metal album that should undoubtedly please fans of Abacinate and the genre in general. This is a perfect swansong for Jason Sica - Rest In Peace. 3.5 stars are deserved for this highly-enjoyable and technically demanding album. Although the band's future is uncertain at this point, it's in my best wishes that they continue making top-notch technical death metal/metalcore in the coming years.