Friday 18 February 2011

#023 Abigail - Forever Street Metal Bitch

I've sometimes wondered what "blackened-glam-metal" would sound like. Now I know. Abigail perform metal in a way in which only Japanese bands can, and in doing so, sound like Motley Crüe being ambushed by Bathory in a dark alleyway. Essentially, Abigail play the most crazed, frantic, and sexually raucous Black-thrash metal I've ever heard, and "Forever Street Metal Bitch" is certainly no exception.


The most perverted and explicit album I've lent my ear to in a long, long time, FSMB combines the screams and raw production of black-metal with the sexual themes of glam metal, although glam metal is timid in comparison. Frankly, I am shocked that this band has not been banned in a few countries around the world, especially with album covers like the one above. The Japanese are world renowned for weird and wonderful (and perverse) ideas, and Abigail is no exception to this.

One of the first things that hits you about this album is it's speed. This album is fast, and in many places technical. There are many places in which interesting time signatures are used, definitely to the extent that this is more than your average black thrash-metal, in terms of raw speed and viciousness. Songs such as the sensitively titled "Bitch, we gonna kill you!" jump out of the speakers rabidly, going straight for the throat. With a listen or two, some songs begin to sound distinctly unique, using styles which haven't been seen in metal in a long time, if indeed ever. The intro to "Shooting master", for instance, has something uniquely Japanese about it, and I've heard nothing like it anywhere else.


From a technical point of view, I admire the band for being able to maintain such speed and relative cohesion. I won't lie though, the musicians are good, but they aren't as tight as some you would encounter. The drums go out of time every now and again, and the occasional mistake is audible. However, I get the impression that the band don't particularly mind, and that fact compliments their style of music excellently.

I give this album 7/10. I love it, but it's not for the easily offended.

Links:
Abigail on Myspace