We're extremely proud and honored to announce the release of Abstracter's brand new second full-length album, in collaboration with An Out Recordings from Portland, Oregon. The album will be also available on 12" Vinyl LP through our amazing friends over at Fragile Branch Recordings (US), Vendetta Records (EU/DE), 7Degrees Records (EU/DE) and Shove Records (EU/IT), and through COF Records (Church Ov Fuck) (UK) as a limited edition hand-assembled CD. A pre-order of the release will be live soon at the band's Bandcamp. Stream the first track - Lightless - below, courtesy of CVLT Nation, and Cruciform courtesy of VICE.
Crafted in near-seclusion over the past two years, Wound Empire is a forty-five minute hallucinating voyage into a frightening wasteland of complete darkness-ridden heaviness. Spread across four, ten minute-long, massive slabs of obliterating crusted blackened doom, this new album by the Oakland band showcases a massive expansion upon their previous sound as seen on their critically praised debut album, Tomb of Feathers (which was released on CD in 2012 on The Path Less traveled Records and on tape by us), and presents us with a greatly evolved and enhanced vision of Abstracter’s abyssal and crushing sound and of their grimness-injected sonic aesthetic.
ABSTRACTER
Wound Empire
01. Lightless (10:56)
02. Open Veins (09:45)
03. Cruciform (10:21)
04. Glowing Wounds (11:10)
(Total running time: 42 minutes)
Centered once again around the construction of lengthy, winding and abyssal build up and collapse progressions, Wound Empire this time also brings entirely new elements to the sonic palette of the band and of their staple massive and enveloping riffing, appearing to be driven by an almost insatiable darkness and by a sinister and primordial hunger for complete sonic annihilation.... From the first disheartening notes of opening blackened sludge crusher Lightless it is in fact immediately clear that what is about to unravel on the listener is an almost absurd rampage of total sonic obliteration. For forty two minutes of senseless and uncontrolled hostility, Abstracter rip through four titanic ten minute-long surges of darkness-fueled anger and unleash an almost unbearable barrage of sonic devastation, snaking and winding their way down a path of complete and dismal destruction in which crust, doom metal, sludge, black metal, noise and psychedelia twist and collide into a daunting sonic downfall. Drawing musical influence from legendary underground heavyweights like Godflesh, Swans, Amebix,Neurosis, His Hero is Gone, Blut Aus Nord, Dystopia, Beherit, Corrupted, Grief, and Darkthrone, Wound Empire is a concept work that once again sees the band dwell in its obsession for massive and crushing riffing, dismal and unsettling soundscapes, and with their fascination with concepts of human decline, cultural and industrial ruin, and complete social collapse.
Wound Empire was recorded and mixed between May 23 and June 13th 2014 at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California by Greg “The Wizard of Doom” Wilkinson (Brainoil, Iron Lung, Pallbearer Lycus, Laudanum, High On Fire, Noothgrush, OM, Atriarch, Sleep, Worm Ouroboros, Vohl) and was mastered at Audiosiege Mastering studios in Portland, Oregon by Brad Boatright (Wolves in the Throne room, Culted, Oathbreaker, Dead in the Dirt, Nails, Sleep, Sunn O))) and countless others), and is with out a shadow of a doubt a release to look out for in the underground and in the realm of all things heavy and dark, and is also an absolute must for any fan of bands like Altar of Plagues, Inter Arma, Thou, Samothrace, Amenra, Drudkh, Tragedy, Coffinworm, Indian, Unkind, Wolvhammer, Unearthly Trance and the such. The tape we're releasing with An Out Recordings will come in 100 units as a six-panel j-card in clear Norelco box with cardboard outer sleeve, and will bear beautiful artwork crafted for the band by Kevin Gan Yuen (Viraloptic.com) of Sutekh Hexen fame.
Abstracter’s previous recordings have earned accolades from the press, including, “An impressive triumph” by Metal Hammer, “post metal in excelsis – out of this fucking world good!” by CVLT Nation, “Absolutely Immense” by Doommantia, “Amazing” by The Sludgelord, and “exceptionally vibrant DIY doom” by Exclaim! Having shared the stage with Eyehategod, Inter Arma, Hexis, Bell Witch, The Atlas Moth, Primitive Man, Kayo Dot, Author & Punisher, Usnea, Stonerburner, Braveyoung, Children Of God, Centuries, Eight Bells and many more, Abstracter will perform sporadic live shows throughout 2015 in support of their latest works. Read the press release by Earpslit PR here. Read Abstracter's previous press here. Wound Empire will be released on February 10th 2015 on the following formats and by the following labels: CASSETTE TAPE: Sentient Ruin Laboratories (US) An Out Recordings (US) 12’ VINYL LP: Fragile Branch Recordings (US), Vendetta Records (EU/DE) 7Degrees Records (EU/DE) Shove Records (EU/IT) CD: COF Records (Church Ov Fuck) (UK). DIGITAL: Sentient Ruin Laboratories (US) All formats will bear beautiful artwork crafted for the band by Kevin Gan Yuen.