Abysmal Dawn

At first, Abysmal Dawn's Leveling the Plane of Existence sounds just like any other modern death metal record: technical, brutal and fast. The L.A.-based band haven't reinvented the genre's tried-and-true approach by any means, as this, their third album, gets straight to the point with an onslaught of pulverizing ferocity. However, as Leveling the Plane of Existence gets to its second half, things start to take a bit of a turn for the different. The tracks become less conventional, with harmonized, restrained melodies ("Perpetual Dormancy" and "Manufactured Humanity"). There are also some softer, lyrically driven vocals rather than just straightforward deep bellows, which add an unusual touch. These avant-garde subtleties set Abysmal Dawn apart from the rest and are what make Leveling the Plane of Existence memorable. A few guest appearances add an extra bonus of awesomeness to the album. Moyses Kolesne (of the mighty Krisiun) and Kragen Lum (Heathen, Prototype) contribute stellar guitar solos to "Pixilated Ignorance" and "Raptured Renowned," respectively.