SELLING INSINCERITY

There's something that intrigues me about heavy, dark, atmospheric rock bands that play short but compelling songs. Abigail's Ghost is one such band that I took an interest to from the beginning. Right from the get go, "Close" starts off with a stutter-step waltz in six before the lead singer Joshua Theriot leads into a somewhat catchy chorus. Only thing that stands out immediately is that the quality isn't quite up to par.

"Waiting Room" cures that by echoing Porcupine Tree by adding a slight bit of weight thanks to their heavier guitars. I love the guitar solo in there, as well. It takes what normally is a dreary shoegaze-like genre and adds a bit of color and life. Not so much that it completely changes the texture of the piece, but enough to brighten the mood a bit. One of my favorites.

Of course, that goes right out the window with "Love Sounds", a slow, heavy electronics based piece with vocals draped over top. Definitely something you'd hear in the intro sequence of a popular crime drama, I'm sure of it. And yet the band changes right on a dime with "Sellout", guitars blazing hot with the heavy effigies of anvils and blazing fire, interlocking nicely with the smoother, more laid back guitar sounds (a la Porcupine Tree). And in fact, it's more of the same in "Dead People's Review". The album now is starting to sound like a Porcupine Tree radio edit. Which isn't bad. I just wish there was just a few more unique touches. The guitar solos help nicely, but it just doesn't help the beginning or end of the songs.

It's not really until you get to "Windows" that you get another bright spark on the album. And yet you finish the song feeling like you've heard it before. Because you probably have.

Thankfully, with "Cerulean Blue", all is well. Immediately heavy guitars in a brutal, fast tempo are interlocked with stop-and-go electronic sounds, fantastic bass work, and utterly time- perfected drumming (excellent double-bass pedal work here). Finally, these great musicians get to strut their stuff. An excellent little solo occurs six minutes in, an excellent little instrumental showcase to try and put these guys on the map.

"Seeping" is another one that stands out a bit. Lush synths backing up another excellent piece of drumming, beautiful acoustic licks and frankly wonderful lyrical work make this another one of the rare standouts here. Same with "Mother May I?" which sounds like a bastard stepchild of Porcupine Tree and Tool after a busy Friday night at a bar.

VERDICT: This is tough, because while the band puts together an outstanding first effort, it's quite overshadowed by the fact that it's a sound that's broadly similar to the likes of Porcupine Tree, Riverside and Oceansize, among countless others. If it's right up your alley, then, have at it. You won't be disappointed. But if you're not a fan of the dark and heavy side of prog, perhaps you should look elsewhere. Or, perhaps you should take a look at their second album...

FAVORITES: Waiting Room, Cerulean Blue, Mother May I?