Abysmal Dawn

It’s oddly refreshing to see a label like Relapse, which generally signs pretty leftfield bands, adding some straight-ahead American death metal to their roster. California’s Abysmal Dawn make the jump from Crash Records to the noted metal label, which is a pretty impressive accomplishment, and their tunes demonstrate why, although if you’re looking for something new, go somewhere else. Instead, these guys prove they love their Retribution and motherfucking Effigy of the Forgotten, have worn out their cassette copies and are even thinking about upgrading to CD. Cookie monster vocals, brutal down-tuned riffs we’ve heard before but don’t mind hearing again, mid-paced sludge and frantic speeds, and even cool little drum fill intros (see "Compulsory Resurrection”), it’s all here. Man, these guys aren’t rewriting anything, just playing old school death metal (there are hints of thrash, even some black if you want to pick hairs, but don’t sweat it). Sometimes it hits the spot and sometimes it just sounds dull. But, right now, Abysmal Dawn are hitting the death metal spot just fine.