It’s been ten years since we were last treated to new material from extreme metallers Abercocke (after a period of inactivity and a split), but has it been worth the ten year wait for Renaissance In Extremis? Well, in short – yes!
After enjoying their set at Eistnaflug just over a month ago, I had very high hopes for this album and I wasn’t let down. Nine tracks of nice and noisy metal that will get your head banging (and leaving you eager to catch the band live again), Abercocke get things moving straight away and don’t give out until the closing chords of the final track ring out.
There’s plenty of awesome songs to be getting on with, and an early highlight is the opening track Disappear, which really helps to get things going with a bang. The track just screams that Abercocke means business with this album and it’s a cracking inclusion with some meaty riffs, powerful drums and mighty vocals coming together to create an awesome start to it all.
Sometimes it feels like the clean vocals need a little more work, as there’s not a lot of support behind them in tracks such as First To Leave The Funeral and One Chapter Closing For Another To Begin, but aside from that somewhat minor nuance, this is a solid album and a magnificent comeback from Abercocke. Catch them live in the UK in October!
8/10
13/10: Glasgow – Audio
14/10: Sheffield – Corporation
15/10: Milton Keynes – The Crauford Arms
20/10: Belfast – Voodoo
21/10: Dublin – Voodoo lounge
22/10: Nuneaton – Queens Hall
27/10: Manchester – Rebellion
28/10: London – Underworld
29/10: Colchester- The Arts Centre
