As reassuring as death metal’s recent reaffirming of its arcane values has been, there’ll always be room within the genre for bands that embrace modernity.
Abiotic are from Florida, which may not be the unerring breeding ground for excellence that it once was, but Casuistry is a stunning example of how to push things forward without needless dilution or pandering to the metalcore hordes.
Plainly possessed by the spirit of Chuck Schuldiner, Abiotic strike a balance between virtuoso complexity and melodic impact. The results are songs like the furious Violent Scriptures and the grandiose The Absence Of Purity: vicious, state-of-the-art modern death metal eruptions.
There are infectious breakdowns, moments of jaw-shattering velocity and enough macabre atmosphere to negate the notion that Abiotic are slaves to cold, hard technology. Proof that death metal’s cutting edge is still gleaming amid the flames of Hell./o:p
