Saviours - Into Abaddon
Review by MH
I guess I''ll lead this off. By the way, welcome back to 'Hooks so Big'. Big changes are coming. So stay tuned!!! I heard that this album was only about a two star album. That the reviewer who reviewed this thought that the band was pretty good before they made this album. That it may be a little more polished from the original organic form the band was in prior. Which I thought could just be an assessment of a guy who doesnt want them to get bigger, henceforth they won't be only"his." Who knows, we all got our shit. I feel that way about a TON of bands. Who knows if that is what the reviewer meant. Like I said, we all got our own shit.
On initial listen, I thought this sounded suspiciously like Baroness's year-end list topping album "The Red Album." Which I adore!!! So I was put off by it, but hopeful because I really like them. To be honest, I dont think they are nearly as good as Baroness, but I have to give them a chance because they aren't Baroness. ( and who is, really?) So, The singer does something that drives me crazy. He stays on the same note in the song and rarely varies. Morrissey does this to my annoyance. I'll have to do it for you when I see you. It's hard to describe in print. But there just isnt that much of a melody that is sung. I'm in musical theatre, I like a melody. I like to be able to sing along. Anyway, The hooks are there. They are very good musicians. They were easily influenced by Iron Maiden, and Sabbath, and Slayer, and Motorhead, and Neurosis. And oddly enough Kansas. In that one track, "Into Abaddon," I believe, TOTALLY sounds like "Carry on my Wayward Son," a song that I do hold dearly to my heart. Listen to it again, you'll totally hear it. And I love Kansas! I dont know if this will make the rotation, but I think I would like to hear what they sounded like before this album. They're tempo changes are good, but I just with they didnt sound as much as all of the influences that I hear. for somereason, it's bugging me on this. I wish them the best though. I bet I'd like them live. which I think we're supposed to see them somehow here soon. I'm gonna listen to some Skid Row now.
Review by WG
I think I read different mags/frequent different metal blogs then Mark, because I was led to this one by a number of fairly glowing reviews. My take isn't that different. Anyone who worships at the thrones of Maiden, Motorhead, Slayer, and Sabbath, as well as those of young lions like High on Fire and The Sword, will dig this one quite a bit. Lots of whisky 'n' weed soaked riffmongering, gravelly vocals, and big gorilla-arm drumming. My only (extremely slight) gripe is that, while the thing rocks like crazy, there's nothing on here that lingers in my mind in the same way that the last High on Fire release did or that the upcoming Sword album is doing to me now.
But while it's spinning, "Into Abaddon" is a Two Horns in the Air barnburner. Perhaps their next release will have a few more standout tracks that keep me coming back a little more often. Recommended release.
