Abigail Williams were once a byword for not very cool, not very exciting symphonic black metal, but the band have found their niche, becoming a very different, much more dangerous beast.
The Accuser has a defiant bite to it, and despite the ever-changing lineup – now including ex-Lord Mantis’s Charlie Fell – is one of the most cohesive, interesting works the band has created.
The record moves from intensity to sadness and back in huge, destructive waves and the gorgeous, introspective nature of Will, Wish And Desire is a stunning moment in an album that’s full of dynamism. The sorrowful guitars contrast beautifully with the pained, screaming vocals.
The Accuser bursts with misanthropic bile and Godhead swirls with a malevolence that seeps through the undulating voices and vibrates throughout the song and beyond. Abigail Williams are reborn and with The Accuser they state their intent all too plainly. Do not underestimate them ever again.
