The Human Abstract

When a band takes the name of a famous poet, sometimes it doesn’t really work out well for the band in the long run. But The Human Abstract, taken from the poem “Human Abstract” by William Blake, bent the rule just once. This is a Contemporary Metal band that bends the bracket, and really kicks some ass. They push the boundaries farther than they’re ever gone, and they will stop at nothing, and I repeat nothing, to bring a new outlook on Metal. The Human Abstract is a five piece band, consisting of Nathan Ells (Vocals), A.J. Minette (Guitars/Piano), Dean Herrera (Guitars), Kenny Are hart (Bass), and Brett Powell (Drums).

The first track on the album, “Harbinger,” was pretty good. The introduction is an acoustic guitar that sounds much like that of Mexican music, with a bit of blues thrown into the mix. And then the distortion turns on! This band’s brutal take on metal pushes the limits far beyond that of most metal artists. The entire song was in perfect scales, with no deviations and Nathan’s voice kicked some ass as well.

Fourth on the album is “Crossing The Rubicon.” I have one word for this track, WOW! The guitar playing style reminded me a little bit of Between The Buried And Me. The amount of different techniques and angles one band can utilize through one five minute song is unbelievable… and this is one of those unbelievable tracks.

Tenth up on the album is “Echelons To Molotovs.” I was rather impressed with this track as the band has sort of a philosophical side to them (hence the name I guess). They speak of Pagan prophecies becoming true. Now I was impressed by this, because I’m right into philosophy, and to hear a modern band referring to prophecies and things of that sort, really gets me thinking. Also, Nathan’s vocals really add an edge to the track; his voice kind of made me feel a little bit paranoid for some odd reason.

Overall, the album was very well played. The recording itself is amazing I might add. No fuzziness! And without further adieu, I present The Human Abstract’s new album, Nocturne, with an 8.7/10.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Harbinger
02. Self Portraits of the Instincts
03. Nocturne
04. Crossing The Rubicon
05. Sotto Voce
06. Mea Culpa
07. Channel Detritus
08. Movement From Discord
09. Polaris
10. Echelons To Molotovs
11. Desiderata
12. Vela, Together We Await The Storm

Run Time: 46:34