Discoveries: Benea Reach and Nazi Zombies

Two posts in two days, egads, I'm on fire!

This past week our household decided to finally give Bell the boot and switched over to a more reliable provider, as well as ISP. As a result I ended up spending a considerable amount of time on Netflix over the course of the week which I'd neglected for a short while.

Whilst perusing for a movie to watch late one night I went on a zombie craze but was turned into a sad panda when Død Snø (or Dead Snow) which I had seen when it came out a couple years ago wasn't available on Netflix. Not only is it a movie about Nazi Zombies but its one of the best zombie movies in recent memory, and it also has one of the most awesome tracks playing during it's scenes - one of the things that also popped into my head when I decided to go on a mad quest to watch this movie at 3AM.

So naturally once I finally found it, I had to both rewatch this bloody gorefest, but also had to stay for the credits to find the name of this this awesome track, and find the band associated with it.

I could have just as easily google'd it, but who wants to pass up a zombie horror comedy? Not this guy.

An hour and a half and many bloody deaths later, I was rewarded when the credits started rolling and I found the answer to my question.

Benea Reach is an extreme metalcore band from Oslo Norway (also where Dead Snow was filmed) who have been around since 2003. Originally a six member outfit, they've also been known to record and tour with up to seven members.

The track from Dead Snow which introduced me to these guys is entitled Awakening and is also the first track off of their sophomore album Alleviat released back in 2008.

Benea Reach fuses elements of math metal polyrhythms, breakdowns signature to the hardcore scene and some good old progressive overtones. Their records also include well placed interludes with soft melodies, and superbly executed vocals, both low and high, clean and screamed, whether by frontman Illka Volume or guest vocalists, notably Maria Solheim.

Alleviat is a record I would have definitely liked to discover years ago when it first came out. It seems to always be the case when discovering great talent from across the pond, but it's always in interesting ways - like watching a slew of zombies getting hacked to pieces, that I manage to discover my new favorite groups of the moment.

While relatively quiet recently, Benea Reach did release two new demo tracks earlier this month which are available on their Sign Me to Roadrunner page and detailed that they're working on a third full length album. They also released footage from their stint last year on the Great Indian Rock Festival.

Their new website is still listed as under construction but you can always check them out on their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/beneareach, follow their progress on Twitter by following @BeneaReach and check out some live footage on their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/beneareach.

As always, here's a taste of Benea Reach with their track Awakening, which I encourage you all to check out if you're unfamiliar with the group. And if you're unfamiliar with Dead Snow, well - I can't think of any better reason than to say it's a gorefest with Nazi Zombies and this song is in the movie, so watch it. Now.


- J

On the Radar: August Burns Red

I could have chosen about 20 different bands to focus on for my first worthwhile post in about 3 months, but random song releases tend to poke and prod me in just the right ways.

The poking and prodding this time 'round being brought forth by Internal Cannon off of August Burns Red's forthcoming fourth full length album.

August Burns Red - Leveler

Label: Sold State Records
Genre: Metalcore
Release Date: June 21, 2011

Previous Releases:  Thrill Seeker (2005), Messengers (2007), Constellations (2009)

Back in about 2008, I had fallen pretty heavily out of the loop in the metal scene, having gone into a purely alternative, indie and old school grunge theme for about half a year.

Luckily for me I have friends who cared enough to give me an injection of metal to my ear drums that has basically left me on a pure metal high since, once again.

August Burns Red were one of the first bands I got introduced to when I was getting reacquainted with the scene. And as many of my friends were (and are still) quite fond of breakdowns, I was guaranteed a treat when faced with tracks such as Back Burner and Composure off of their then second album Messengers.

Hailing from Pennsylvania this quintet has done nothing but push their own limits since 2005, releasing a full length record every two years, touring nearly non-stop between recording and picking up an army of fans in the meantime.

Their last full length record, Constellations showed off both the evolution and overall progression of the group, from Jake Luhrs commanding leading vocals, to the sweet melodies, bone crushing breakdowns and shredding of JB Brubaker, Brent Rambler and Dustin Davidson, and the near flawless drumming of Matt Greiner to round out the quintet.

ABR released a first track off of Leveler on May 10 entitled Empire to the delight of many a fan. On first hearing the song I was definitely intrigued and it gave me a throwback to the release of Constellations, making me throw it into the stereo to piss off my neighbors promptly once again. My initial reaction was clearly a resounding: F@%# YEAH!

At the same time, Empire gave me the impression of a tried and tested production which has become staple to ABR's style over the years. So my fear was also that Leveler may feel a bit too similar to Constellations. But I definitely enjoy it when I'm wrong.

August Burns Red released a second track off of Leveler today, entitled Internal Cannon (which if you haven't heard yet you should go check out right now and stop reading this garbage - for real). The shifts in style, the interludes and that solo - oh sweet fancy moses, that solo - all things that show me these guys have a whole new bag of tricks to unleash on their fans.

While some people may complain about the lack of wall to wall breakdowns, Internal Cannon is another indication to me that August Burns Red are constantly evolving, making fluctuations to their sound and style, and best of all, pulling it off to a tee.

So to all the kids who may become heartbroken that August Burns Red have clearly matured once again as artists, all I have to say is: grow up kids.

And of course, if you're unfamiliar with August Burns Red, you can check them out on their website at: http://www.augustburnsred.com/. Or you can track their updates on their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/augustburnsred, or on Twitter by following @abrband.

Leveler comes out on June 21st, so if you're a longtime fan, mark your calendars, and if you're a soon to be fan, get stoked. As always a parting gift, here's August Burns Red's most recent release, Internal Cannon:


- J

Rapture: Apocalypse Not

Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? Oh wait - wrong Rapture. Sorry Andrew Ryan.

Well it's been a long time since I posted anything, as I've been pretty busy taking care of some future specific goals. I'll have some free time and a hankering to get back in business in the coming weeks though, but I just couldn't let this go.

California Radio evangelist Harold Camping first predicted the End of Days back in 1994, and most recently changed his prediction to localize the Apocalypse in 2011.

First the Rapture was supposed to take place on May 21, 2011 (that's today, if you're keeping tabs), followed by earthquakes across the world beginning at 6PM. And then to just add insult to injury, he predicted the actual end of the world would take place about five months later, on October 21.

Harold's original prediction stated earthquakes would rock Jerusalem at 6PM, well 6PM has come and gone and well... *crickets*

Yup. Nothing. Sad part is I know people who actually bought into the thought of the Rapture going down today.

But good old Harold was never very specific after all, time is pretty relative. Maybe he meant shit was going to hit the fan at around 6PM Pacific Time, considering he's from California.

I'll just keep my fingers crossed. After all, I was really looking forward to some gratuitous Judgement.

- J

P.S. - Opening quote is from Bioshock, for anyone not in the know.

The Human Abstract: Review

The Human Abstract - Digital Veil

Grade: 4.5 - This is Nocturne on steroids, flying on a magic carpet between a serene wilderness and a thundering battlefield.

Label: eOne
Genre: Progressive Metal / Metalcore
Release Date: March 8th, 2010
Site(s): http://www.myspace.com/thehumanabstract

High Points: The return of A.J. Minette.
Low Point: The wanton desire of more tracks after those 37 minutes are over.

It's been over a month and a half since I wrote my On the Radar post about this bands imminent return, but that day has finally arrived. Ladies and gentleman, The Human Abstract are back, and they're back with a vengeance.

As I pointed out in my original post, fans of the group have often been split because of the differences between the bands debut album Nocturne and their sophomore release Midheaven following the departure of guitarist A.J. Minette. Regardless of where you may have found yourself as a fan of this group, Digital Veil will have you proclaiming your allegiance loudly and proudly.

I tried to find a simple way of describing this album to people who are familiar with THA, while also leaving it open to those who may not be so familiar with them. The easiest way I could do this was to do a stylistic comparison using their past work, and some kind of visual metaphor.

Whether it makes sense or not, Digital Veil can be summed up as: Nocturne on steroids, flying on a magic carpet between a serene wilderness and a thundering battlefield.

The Human Abstract have always been known for their eloquent use of the strings, head-manned by A.J. Minette's use of classical technique and forging melodies. If you've been a fan of the group since Nocturne then you'll be innately familiar with the blinding sweeps and guitar solos that you've grown familiar with over the years, because they're back in full force in Digital Veil.

But just as equally prominent are the thundering, hard charging rhythms, and breakdowns which also go a long way to accompany the performance of The Human Abstracts new vocalist Travis Richter. Vocally the album is much changed compared to the groups previous releases, but a change of pace that is both welcomed and well deserved.

Richter demonstrates his ability to cover a wide range, from deep low growls and screams, to clean vocals that fit the more melodious and calm areas of the album.

Fused together, the elements of Richter's vocals, the thunderous carnage of the groups more than capable core of stringsmen (Minette, Herrera and Selva) and the percussionistic (that's totally a word) proficiencies of drummer Brent Powell, help forge a sound that carries both familiarity, and a sense of renewal for a band that truly are virtuosos of their craft.

So what's the downside? Well the wanton desire to have more is the primary downside I've gotten from all of this. At eight tracks and 37 minutes in length, it's on average 3-4 tracks and 10 minutes shorter than their previous outings. But considering the album has been barely out for a day, and it's been near the top of my most wanted list for over a year, it's hard to judge. Especially when the final product meets expectations, and more.

The Human Abstract are currently on the Atticus Metal III Tour sharing the stage with As Blood Runs Black, in support of Born of Osiris and Darkest Hour.

And as always a parting gift, in the form of some Digital Veil:


Pull me... from the gallows... of this fiber-optic nation!

- J

Reliving the Past: Like a Slap to the Face

Disclaimer: this is going to be long.

Don't let the image of a Koala getting punched in the face fool you, this post is actually pretty serious and depressing. How splendid.

I've written posts in the past detailing how over the past couple of years I've gone through varying levels of personal growth - building new perspectives, changing some of my old ways, and with the help of some key individuals, becoming a better person - or so I've been told.

I've always been the type to take things one day at a time, even going to the lengths of detailing how I hate five year plans before, and going slightly off the rails by leaving an open letter with a few harsh words to certain malefactors.

Despite all of my (few) personal advancements there still lingers personal demons, past experiences, mistakes, failures, and history, that at given moments continue to either haunt, or gnaw away at me to this day. After all, the past has a way of catching up with everyone, one way or another - and more often than not it comes about like a sobering dose of reality, often catching you off-guard; like a slap to the face. Sometimes quite literally.

Over the course of November and early December, I spent a considerable amount of time thinking, recollecting and reliving some of the darker portions of my past, notably for a project I presented and handed in for a course at University.

It was the first time I spoke openly on the subject, and the first time I had even discussed it at all, with anyone, in the five years following it. Pardon my being cryptic on the subject, but it's not a subject I like to even broach, let alone air out to the entire series of tubes.

Following the airing of my grievances, I got commended by many for being brave, or courageous for even sharing the experience, and for once in a long while it felt like a great weight had been lifted, at least partially, off of my shoulders. I had opened up on a part of my history which has obviously had a great impact and effect on me, but more importantly, that I had kept locked away, as unhealthy as I know that can be.

It felt good to finally have some room to breathe, and to think back on things in a less negative light - something that a few people helped me do. Of course, as with most everything, there's always a but.

I'm a big proponent of the simple theory that shit happens, and that the world is not without a sense of irony, in the dramatic sense, where the spectators are aware of things that the main players are not. So it's hard for me to understand why exactly, or even how it came to be that this week, I would find myself thrown into the direction of that metaphorical, and literal slap to the face.

After five years of keeping something locked away, I had finally let it off my chest, opened the flood gates so to speak, and despite my own personal anger behind it, gained a better measure of acceptance of it. So it's no wonder how baffled I am at how only a month later I would happen to bump into someone greatly familiar to the situation, who would give me a stark reminder of all the reasons, mostly negative, as to why I had not spoken of it for so long.

You would think that after five years, some individuals dispositions would change. That after all, time heals all wounds. But when I literally got slapped in the face, and berated in public earlier this past week, it just went to prove otherwise; that some things, and some people just don't change. And in this case, it might have been better to let sleeping dogs lie.

Needless to say, getting slapped in the face and told to die - in more or less words - is something that gets you thinking. And usually not about sunshine, rainbows and lollipops. So I'm hoping for a bit of a windfall of change to sweep through the next few weeks, and to hopefully put me on the up. Even though I already know that there's going to be some down moments to come in those next few weeks.

Back in August I said something that I almost nearly forgot I had said, that being:

Change is what I want. Change is what I need. And the time for it might as well be now. But those are just words and talk is cheap, so we'll just have to wait and see. 

So far, for the most part, I'm still waiting. The disheartening part is how close I am to some truly big changes in my life, considering I'm on the fast track to graduating and moving forward with my life.

I've never really stressed much about school, I basically go with the flow, but I'm starting to feel the pressure to finish and to succeed from virtually everyone else. Pressure that's carrying over now not just in my academic life, but my potential future career, potential future everything.

Main problem is I don't see myself as being any further ahead as I was nearly six years ago when I graduated from high school. Who I want to be, where I want to go, what I want to become, are all questions I still don't have answers to, but it seems like everyone else is hinging on me figuring it all out as soon as possible - and that's undue stress that I really don't need right now.

Plus there's all the other little and big things that are constantly on my mind. Good times...

And that's all I have to say about that. - Forrest Gump

- J

On the Radar: Here Comes the Djent, Part II

Yesterday I opened up a look at the world of Djent, and how the sound and technique itself opened up a wide realm of musical discovery for myself last year.

So it was a no brainer to do an On the Radar showcase of some of the upcoming releases for 2011 that I've either been tracking for a while, or had recently come across.

The number of groups and varying array of talent I wanted to put up on the Blaarg for this Djent installment of On the Radar was too heavy to throw into one post. It would have just been too damned long, so I decided to break it in two part. Here Comes the Djent, Part I opened up with the following group of Djentlemen: Nova, Volumes, Uneven Structure and Textures.

So here's a look Part II, and the other five groups that I planned to showcase. Each having their own distinct flavor, and all bringing something equal to the table, in the form of aural pleasure.

Periphery - Icarus Lives EP

Label: Sumerian
Genre: Progressive Metal
Release Date: April 19, 2011

About one year to the day that their debut self-titled album was released, Periphery will be releasing the Icarus Lives EP.

Periphery is the 6 piece Djenternaut from Maryland, featuring guitarist Misha Mansoor a.k.a Bulb, one of the most recognized figures in the current rising of the Djent circuit. But you can't take anything away from fretwork the of Jake Bowen, Alex Bois and Tom Murphy on bass, Matt Halpern's prowess behind the drum kit, and Spencer Sotelo up front on the vox.

The EP will feature the remixed version of Icarus Lives from the fan remix contest from this Fall, as well as two other remixes of the song. Also making an appearance on the EP will be the track Jetpacks Was Yes! v2.0, the addition of everyone's favorite intro, New Groove, and the tracks Captain On, Eureka and Frak the Gods, an old fan favorite which they've been playing live for the past few months.

Regardless of what Periphery would have decided to release on this upcoming release, I'm sure fans of the group would surely be pleased.

Elitist - TBA

Label: Unsigned
Genre: Metalcore / Progressive
Release Date: TBD, 2011

Elitist are a 5 piece outfit out of Los Angeles, California, fusing together elements of progressive metal, trademark metalcore riffs, breakdowns and blisteringly elegant guitar work.

In 2010, Elitist released their debut EP Caves, quickly catching the attention of a few friends of mine, and many a metalhead. Not many details about Elitist's debut full-length album have come forward, but the band has released a studio update video, and footage of the band rehearsing together in studio.

It's understandable to make comparisons between bands, when trying to give people an idea of what a group sounds like, however I hate it when people label bands as a clone of another band. I've seen and also heard comments from people claiming that Elitist is just a clone of August Burns Red. I'm not one to argue there are similarities, but every band is unique, each member brings something new to the table, and Elitist and ABR clearly have their differences.

While I'd never use the term clone, comparing one up and coming group to another extremely talented band, such as ABR, that were once up and comers themselves, is actually a great compliment - as far as I see it.

You can check out Elitist on their MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/theelitistband.


Monuments - TBA

Label: Basick Records
Genre: Ambient / Progressive Metal
Release Date: TBD

Many fans of Monuments consider it to be the primary successor, at least in spirit, of Fellsilent.

Originally the spawn of former Fellsilent guitarist John Browne, and Josh Travis of TTDTE, Monuments now feature Browne alongside former Fellsilent vocalist Neema Askari, Mike Malyan on drums and Adam Swan on bass.

If the combo from Fellsilent wasn't enough to inspire oogling from fans of the genre, the fact that Paul Ortiz a.k.a Chimp Spanner often plays guitar with Monuments while on tour, should give you an idea of how talented this group is. And of course if you don't know Chimp Spanner, then you sure as shit need to check out his work, especially the album At the Dream's Edge.

Monuments released an EP in late 2010 entitled We Are the Foundation. While only comprising three tracks, all three tracks are technically beautiful, and show off the talents of the group as a whole. Monuments is currently tracking their debut full-length album, while also doing kickass things like touring with Periphery and Tesseract on the League of Extraordinary Djentlemen tour.

I say this a lot, but if you haven't heard of these guys or their music, be sure to check them out. You can do so by visiting their MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/thisismonuments. The track Admit Defeat is a definite must listen.

TesseracT - One

Label: Century Media
Genre: Experimental / Progressive Metal
Release Date: March 22, 2011

The brainchild of former Fellsilent guitarist Acle Kahney, TesseracT is a five member squad out of Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom.

TesseracT has been one of the most popular groups in the djent community ever since their inception. Blending together incredible instrumental technique, rhythm, and melody, along with alternating clean vocals and screams from Dan Tompkins, TesseracT provides one the most enjoyable progressive metal experiences of recent memory.

Fans of the group were obviously disappointed when in 2010, news that their debut album One would once again be delayed, however when news broke out that they had signed with Century Media, fans had good reason to get excited again. Following that announcement, the band released their debut EP Concealing Fate which I've discussed previously on the Blaarg and in my top 10 for 2010 post, where I named it my favorite EP of 2010.

Concealing Fate serves as a great prelude to their debut album One, which will finally be coming on March 22nd - which is officially a Smorgasbord day in the Metalverse also featuring new releases by Born of Osiris and Protest the Hero.

If you don't know them yet, get acquainted, and fast. You can check out TesseracT on their website at: http://www.tesseractband.co.uk/.

Vildhjarta - Irreversible

Label: Unsigned
Genre: Ambidjent
Release Date: TBD, 2011  

A seven member group out of Sweden, Vildhjarta have come to describe themselves, their style and their sound as being Ambidjent.

Vildhjarta utilizes a fusion of technicality and eloquence, featuring transitions between sections of abstract riffage, aggressive melodies, and ambiance that shifts between beautiful and dark at a moments notice.

Their debut album, entitled Irreversible has been, so far, something of a myth, as fans of the group have waited with bated breath to find out if the day will ever come when they can wrap their hands around a piece of this groups technical wizardry. Up until now we've had to do with the single pack Omnislash, released in 2009, a few sporadic releases and snippets.

Vildhjarta has been featured before on the Blaarg, in my first Djent oriented post from August entitled Forecast: A 90% Chance of Djent, the post which has actually received the most overall traffic (by a large margin) on the Blaarg to date, according to my stats - Nifty.

Regardless, rumors abound as to whether Irreversible will finally see the light of day in 2011. Personally, I fucking hope so, as it has been one of the albums I've been looking forward to for well over a year now.

You can check out Vildhjarta by visiting their MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/vildhjarta. Omnislash, the single pack released in 2009 is also available free for download, and contains the tracks Shiver and Don't Fail Me Now (Lady Luck).

A little trip around the tubes and Youtube will also net you with a wealth of Vildhjarta's instrumental work, which is sure to please, if you haven't heard these guys prior to right now.

This concludes my outlook on what I have On the Radar in the Djent community for 2011. Here's to another great year in djent, and hopefully all of these releases will spank my ear drums this year, including those featured in Part I.

- J

On the Radar: Here Comes the Djent, Part 1

In terms of musical discovery in 2010, there was one 'genre', or more like one onomatopoeia that seemed to dominate throughout much of the year.

While you've got those who'll argue that it can be classified as it's own sub-genre - amongst a plethora of existing sub-genres - others will say that it isn't.

It's all a matter of perspective, but one can easily argue that Djent is less about a being it's own standalone genre, but rather being a technical set piece that when used well, can incorporate itself into almost any type of metal (or otherwise!) with varying results.

Last year saw a lot of news and releases in the Djent circuit, including the release of Periphery's debut self-titled album, the release of TesseracT's Concealing Fate EP and many other masterpieces of Djentistry of which it would take way too long to list.

Fact of the matter is Djent is here, and it's picking up steam, with many scheduled (and hopeful) releases to come throughout the year. Some of which myself and many others have been anticipating for quite some time, and other nuggets sure to please.

Here's part one of the list of Djentlemen artists and releases that are currently On the Radar for 2011:

N O V A - Invert Theory

Label: Unsigned
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal
Release Date: TBD, 2011

A two-member instrumental project out of San Francisco, California, Nova is the spawn of Chazz McConnell (Sol Asunder), and Max Seeman, (Anomalous). Nova is yet another in a long list of interesting instrumental projects to pop out from the woodwork, so to speak. They've released a number of tracks which are available on their MySpace, Soundclick and Bandcamp pages.

The tracks Ley Lines, Temporal and Shard should provide you with a good idea of what you can expect from these guys on their future full-length release. Blending sounds that are both technically strong, mellow and at times, just plain funky.

Volumes - TBD

Label: Mediaskare Records
Genre: Groove Metal / Progressive

Release Date: Summer/Fall 2011

One of my favorite discoveries of 2010, Volumes is a six piece metal outfit out of Los Angeles, California. Grouping together musicians from a variety of backgrounds, they've created a sound which incorporates the intricacies of jazz fusion, the aggressiveness of straight to the core Metal, and everything in between, including the kitchen sink.

Their debut EP The Concept of Dreaming was my second favorite EP of 2010, behind only TesseracT's Concealing Fate, which should attest to how much I enjoy these guys musical capabilities. After finishing up a recent tour, they announced that they will be devoting their time to finishing the recording of their debut full-length album, with a targeted Mid-2011 release, and the simple demand that everyone should get appropriately stoked.

If you haven't yet, check them out, you can get an earful at their MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/volumes.

Uneven Structure - Februus 

Label: Unsigned
Genre: Ambient / Experimental Metal

Release Date: TBD, 2011

Uneven Structure are a six piece outfit with members playing out of France and Sweden. Their debut eight track EP, simply entitled 8, was released in late December 2009, and serves as a great introductory set piece to another very talented group fusing Progressive Metal, djenty goodness and Ambient sounds into a delightful brain massaging experience.

The best part is 8 is available free to downloaded via the groups official website (http://www.unevenstructure.net/), and all eight tracks are also available for streaming on their MySpace page. You'll also notice they uploaded a short preview of their upcoming full-length album Februus, which is definitely worthy of a listen, and will surely convert a few new followers to their cause.

Textures - TBD

Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Progressive / Technical Death Metal / Groove Metal

Release Date: Early 2011 (speculated) 

Previous Releases: Polars (2003); Drawing Circles (2006); Silhouettes (2008)

Arguably, this group could have easily fit into my future Prog Metal focused post, or any other number of them, but they also just as deservedly fit into this bracket.

Formed in 2001, Textures is a six piece metal band hailing from the Netherlands, with a long history of blending elements of progressive, technical death metal, groove metal and metalcore in their own unique, intricate and complex style. They have a long history of success as a group, showcasing strong performances on all three of their previous full-length releases.

In 2010, longtime frontman Eric Kalsbeek announced that he was leaving the band for personal reasons, wanting to focus on his personal work and family. Because of this, Textures were forced to delay the recording and release of their next album until early 2011. In March 2010, Daniel de Jongh was announced as his replacement.

I was looking forward to Textures fourth release, originally scheduled for last year, but with Eric's leaving the group it obviously added an unfortunate hiccup. I'm still hopeful that the group will be able to push forward with another solid release and look toward the future, so needless to say, Textures next release is still very much on my radar - hopefully sooner than later.


Part II of On the Radar: Here Comes the Djent will be up in the following days and will focus on four of my most anticipated Djent-tastic releases of 2011.

- J

On the Radar: The Human Abstract

This March is quickly looking to be one of the busiest months of the year in terms of album releases for this coming year.

While March 22nd is looking to be the busiest day of the year in terms of quality and talent being unleashed in the Metalverse, March 8th will also see the return of one particular talented group of musicians and their third full length album, which is sure to exude album of the year potential.

Courtesy of taylorfoiles.com

The Human Abstract - Digital Veil

Label: eOne
Genre: Progressive Metal / Metalcore
Release Date: March 8, 2011

Previous Releases:  Nocturne (2006); Midheaven (2008)

The Human Abstract are a six member Progressive Metal outfit hailing from Los Angeles, California.

I was originally introduced to THA by a couple friends of mine over two years ago and was greatly impressed with their debut album Nocturne. Their sound was intriguingly unique, with a style incorporating classical technique, powerful riffs and the intricately played, elegant, and melodic guitar solos and sweeps of co-founder, and guitarist A.J. Minette.

In 2008, Minette left THA to pursue his own musical interests outside the realm of metal, leading to the addition of Andrew Tapley to the group prior to recording their sophomore release, Midheaven.

Midheaven was a departure from the original sound of the group and to this day has left many fans split. The departure of Minette and changes to the overall musical style of the group created a second album which had clear differences in focus, in comparison with the powerful debut album Nocturne. Much less heavy than its predecessor, it also did not present the same type of flair that many fans adored from their debut, and were expecting in their follow-up.

Regardless of which side of the fence fans may have found themselves on following the release of Midheaven, there was a piece of news let loose which reunited nearly every fan of the group.

In April of 2010 it was announced that A.J. Minette had officially returned to The Human Abstract, after the band had begun co-writing some new material together in late 2009. This news coincided quite closely with the news that they had found a new vocalist in Travis Richter.

On October 1st, 2010, The Human Abstract released a short video of studio sessions for their next album, Digital Veil. And again on November 12th released a two minute song sampler from the album, which most likely attracted the attention of every THA fan in existence, and every newest fan they've made since. This first song sampler gave an insight into the reinvigorated effort, showing off a sound eerily reminiscent and even more powerful than that of Nocturne.

Since then, The Human Abstract have released two songs to their legion of fans: Faust in mid November and most recently (today actually) Patterns. They announced just last week that they have signed with E1 Music and that Digital Veil will be officially released on March 8th, 2011.

This is a release that I've been anticipating for months, so the announcement of an official release date was more than welcome news - for me and many of my friends, and pretty much every other god damned THA fan on the planet.

The Human Abstract are currently busy being just plain awesome, but will be kicking off the Atticus Metal III tour in support of Darkest Hour and Born of Osiris on February 25th, just a week and a half before Digital Veil crash lands into a stereo near you.

And of course, if you're unfamiliar with The Human Abstract, you can check them out on their MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/thehumanabstract. Or you track their updates on their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/thehumanabstract, or on Twitter by following @humanabstract.

Last but not least, here's a taste of Digital Veil, in the form of the first single from the album, Faust:


Mark your calendars, because on March 8th, The Human Abstract is back.

- J