Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Humanity's Last Breath - Abyssal (2019)
In extreme metal's ongoing reign, many fans are at war for the throne. Their goal is to make the heaviest music known to man, tearing down the walls of conventionality for their original attempts at giving heaviness a new meaning. Humanity's Last Breath might the closest band to the finish line, stunning fans with some of the heaviest and most pulverizing breakdowns and riffs possible. Having already released 3 EPs and one album before this one, the talent and fury the band has is impenetrable and would have all those other extreme metal bands bowing down before them. That's how abyssal this album Abyssal is!
The band's ultra-heavy thall (more brutalized djent/deathcore) sound is so unique. It also leans into downtempo deathcore, the subgenre that might as well be considered death-doomcore and was developed by The Last Ten Seconds of Life and Black Tongue. Whichever genre Humanity's Last Breath are referred to, they increase the limits and impress even the most serious metalheads with their chaotic attack.
"Bursting Bowel of Tellus" literally bursts in with the opening riff, showing that the brutality hasn't withered away since their 2013 debut. There's no doubt those blasts and riff technicality will leave you stunned all the way up to the end. Next track "Bone Dust" has more of the intense violence from vocalist Filip Danielsson's whispers and growls. Everything's so strong and ominous at the same time! "Fragda" slices through neck-twisting riffs and drums. "Abyssal Mouth" is another track released as a single but since revamped. The heaviness really bursts out alongside those haunting vocals by Filip. And we have more of those machine-gun blast beats.
Exploding into your ears like a xenomorph exploding from a person's chest is "Pulsating Black", heavy right from the opening bass pulse. "For Sorg" is an instrumental for who wanting a break from the vocals while staying heavy. "Like Flies" is filled with fast riff darkness and some more sinister vocals by Filip. "Sterile" is good but nothing special.
Another interlude "Being" is interesting, starting off with a demonically distorted audio sample from Jordan Peterson. The expansive "Vanda" displays more of the band's quest for the ultimate heaviness. Each moment is more brutal than the last, with some fast energy added in. The chains of heaviness tighten again in "Rampant" with more technicality in the riffing. The closing outro "Dodgud" wraps it up in total extremeness after a soft ambient start.
The Swedish brutal descendant of djent, thall is held in place by Vildhjarta and Humanity's Last Breath. The latter band's second album Abyssal has given them the right to own the throne of heaviness. They've earned it!
Favorites: "Bursting Bowel of Tellus", "Bone Dust", "Abyssal Mouth", "Like Flies", "Vanda", "Rampant"