Abacabb

Abacabb (aka the blood code for Sega Genesis' Mortal Kombat) have the best moniker of the year thus far, but Survivalist is by no means the best album of the year. This Washington, DC outfit signed with Sumerian Records early in 2008 and about one year later unleashed Survivalist, a mash of metal, death and hardcore - yup, one more addition to the metalcore pile. A theme is evident from songs such as "Infection," "Addiction," "Regression" and "Articulation," revolving around personal survival of relationships with women, family members and one's self. There aren't any bones to be made regarding the pure aggression and heaviness of Survivalist, as it's rammed with breakdowns, bass drops and machinegun drumming, but this doesn't forgive the album being plagued with a melding of familiar sounds. The head-mashing strength of "Survivalist" and mosh pit savvy bass kicks are a strong display of this band's musical style but "Articulation" uses an almost identical song structure, making it hard to praise this album due to its lack of originality. Much like the blood code being cool at first, with those little spats of red 16-bit squares flying around, Survivalist delivers the same initial impact but falters upon closer inspection.