ABACABB SUCK. AND I DON’T MEAN “SUCK” IN A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK WAY, LIKE WE DO WITH THE NAME OF THIS SITE. I MEAN THE BAND IS REALLY BAD.
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 3:15pm by Axl Rosenberg
If you like Oceano or have no particular problem with the fact that Emmure shamelessly ripped-off The Acacia Strain, then boy do I have an album for you.
Up ’til now, Sumerian Records has seemed to exist solely to prove that not all music labeled “deathcore” is bad. The Faceless, Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya – these are legitimately talented bands and exciting additions to the modern death metal landscape, and they don’t deserve to be lumped in with some of these other schmucks.
So what the fuck is up with Abacabb’s Survivalist?
This album is as boring as modern death metal comes. I’m usually more inclined to give generic death metal a pass, just because I’m such a naturally angry person that the same recycled Morbid Angel rip-off riff still sounds good to me, so long as it sounds appropriately violent and/or evil – and I still don’t wanna listen to this album ever again. I mean, Satan Rosenbloom offered to throw himself on the grenade and review this album for us, but I just couldn’t let him be the hero – he has too much to live for.
So here I am. I don’t even know what to say about this album. There are some movie samples on it. They make me wish I was listening to the new Graf Orlock album instead.
Look: I feel like I’m shitting all over Abacabb’s dreams, and I feel terrible about it. I hope they use this review as motivation to prove me wrong, and to still be around in five or ten years, making awesome records that everyone celebrates as innovative and revolutionary while laughing at me for lacking the vision and insight to recognize the group’s inimitable genius.
I also hope that during that journey, they choose a new band name that isn’t so stupid I don’t even care what they think it means.
Anyways. About that Graf Orlock album…
(one out of five horns)
-AR
A-B-A-C-A-B-B was the “blood code” for the original Mortal Kombat video game for Sega Genesis. Type it in, you get blood. That’s what ABACABB means.
And I seriously doubt this band, or most bands on Sumerian Records’ roster, will be around in five years’ time. Just a guess, is all.
@Dysenteric
I was telling a co-worker about that the other day. Funny, the shit you remember.
band blows.
Yeah, this album was whack as fuck. There are so many other bands that deserve a chance to put out their albums but instead faggot ass ABACABB get the release. I see nothing special about it at all. The whole album lacks energy. It sounds so bland and boring. Seriously I’d rather listen to ATILLA all day.
In regards to the title, I believe the expression is “tongue-in-cheek”
Normally I just disregard shitty band names and listen to the music regardless, don’t judge a book by its cover and whatnot, but seriously…ABACABB? So fucking stupid. The fact that it is a mortal combat code, imo, makes it worse rather than better. Just saying it outloud makes me feel like a retard.
Dude did you hear that new DDUULRLRABAB album? It fucking rules, and it gives you fifty lives!
I saw these guys with Veil of Maya and After the Burial. Generic as they may be, they put on a damn good show live. Bad name though.
@YA, your a fucking idiot they don’t put on a good live show they fucking suck. They do the exact same shit every fucking “hardcore” band does. Moron.
I actually like the name to be honest. Don’t think much of the band though, saw them with ATB and VOM and wasn’t really into it. Boring and generic. Too many breakdowns.
1:50-2:10 on the track Survivalist and the last track are the only worthwhile parts of this album.
Also, Veil of Maya and Born of Osiris are extremely meh, and The Faceless are alright.
THE EYES OF A TRAITOR….Something new…that actually sounds worthwhile…melodic…there on tour with Gojira…so check em out
http://www.myspace.com/theeyesofatraitor
Yeah I looked at a few of these songs a few weeks ago on iTunes store… was not fully impressed.
But yeah Born of Osiris, After the Burial, Veil of Maya, and THE FACLESS are all very good bands IMO.
I just saw The Faceless with Meshuggah last week and they were really entertaining.
I really like the deathcore genre and am a fan of emmure but these guys aren’t good at all. listened to a song for 30 seconds hoping it would get better but it didnt.
being from the same city where abacabb is from makes me want to back them. they are pretty well known around VA. but for those of you who think this is the first thing they have ever done you are wrong. as i was told they disbanded a while ago (and one member, if not more formed aorta consumption) but reformed a few years ago i think. so theyve already been around for a bit. but i agree with most of you. its great for what it is, another deathcore band. but nothing really new. it was exactly what i expected it to be.
you’re a terrible writer and you’re fucking ignorant
COOKIE CUTTER.
Just to throw it out there, the prog rock band Genesis named one of their albums ABACABB, which is, as far as I know, where Mortal Kombat got it from. Whether the band got it from the group or the game (or elsewhere), I couldn’t say…
yeahh. pretty much. saw them with after the burial and veil of maya, and left 5 minutes into their set to get a sub, and came back just in time to catch veil of maya’s most excellent set. ABACABB is a boring ass band… they give deathcore a bad name.
veil of maya, born of osris, after the burial and abacabb may have some okay musicians but their music as a whole still sucks
the faceless is the only band on that label that are worth a shit
hey kyle
boo fucking hoo
I actually thought these guys were pretty generic, then I saw them open for Veil of Maya and After the Burial and grew some appreciation for them. Sure it’s nothing groundbreaking or new, but it’s a decent effort. A lot of good and crushing breakdowns on the album. MetalSucks once again drinks too much haterade.
Man, I don’t know how some people can be hating on Veil of Maya and After the Burial. There’s two bands right there who have put out solid albums and have their (respective) own unique sounds. Sure, they’re still “metalcore,” but I’ll take their music any day over 95% of the utter shit that’s out there.
Now I’m sorta pissed I missed the VOM/ATB show to hang out with a chick who only views me as a best friend…I want to hate on abacabb too. Ehh, not really, I’ve seen VOM 4x and ATB 2x.
Here’s my review:
Barrrffffff
This band really really sucks lol. But they are truly nice guys at the same time. I mean I felt bad, when I accepted their friend request on Myspace. I mean they were nice enough to let me check out their band eventhough I dont dig them. But yeah, best wishes to these kids, just get try something different the next time.
Woo-hoo! I made it into a MetalSucks review!
@ b-dizzle – WTF are you talking about? 1:50 – 2:10 on Survivalist is the most generic crap breakdown ever.
And the thing about this album is that they rarely go above the 5th string. Low end, low end, low end, breakdown, pinch harmonic, low end, etc. Repetitive.
@Astraea
Yes, our old guitarist and I started aortaconsumption when abacabb was on hiatus for a while.
@revenge of the nords
Genesis had an album named “abacab”. Just one B at the end. That is actually where the video game got the code from and we got our name from the code.
@metalsucks
I’ve been reading your site for a while now and knew that I would get brutalized when you heard the album…and I did. I can take some criticism though and I will continue to read and support your site haha. All I can say is come see us live and wait until next album.
@anyone talking shit on atb or vom
You are a bunch of morons. Those two bands are some of the best musicians and nicest dudes I have ever met.
check out conducting from the grave they tear shit up there sumerians best offerings
http://www.myspace.com/condcutingfromthegrave
I’m a huge fan of VOM, ATB, The Facless and a slew of other bands from most genre’s of metal/metalcore/deathcore/death metal etc etc. I had someone give me a copy of ABACABB’s 2004 demo – which at first, I wasn’t big on – purely because of the sound quality, but that’s why they call them “Demos”, so I gave it a few spins and held out for the album as I thought the songs themselves were pretty good.
I managed to pick it up yesterday and listened to it in the car on the way to the airport. Most people seem to think it’s generic, and I agree with them TO A POINT… think about how long music in general has been about, it’s very rare to hear something considered “new” as just about everythings been done. The breakdowns on survivalist get an “A” in my books as they pass the chriteria of my (and countless others) definition of a “Breakdown” – a part (usually slow, with half-time cymbal hits, usually a China) which focuses (usually) on open notes on the guitars in a certain pattern, most of the time sounding sonically “Crushing” for want of a better term. These breakdowns are certainly “Crushing” to me, ground-breaking? Not really, but they’re still brutal as fuck. If you want something thats never been done before as far as breakdowns go – then ATB and VOM are probably closer to your tastes, but still, most people consider “new” to be within the last 2 or 3 months…
This is my first visit to Metalsucks.com, but it’s the same as any site/forum that allows people to post comments… Generally negative. If you don’t like the new ABACABB album, i have 4 words for you: Don’t Listen To It… It’s that simple. There’s no need to put shit on a band that are signed (is your band signed?) are touring (does your band?) and releasing albums. So when your band releases it’s new album, send me a copy so I can tell you how generic it sounds or how good I think it is.
Blood Gutter had a comment that was both funny and true, metalsucks.com and a fair portion of thier users drink too much haterade.
dude, this album is good, i love the band, breakdowns fit a typical breakdown, this is what it was excpeted to be nothing more, its good, wait until the new album, its gunna be sick. just don’t listen to “bad” music stop bitching about how generic it is, everything is generic now-a-days.
abacabb kind of sucks. not as bad as whoever wrote this review though. seriously bro, take some kind of journalism class or read a credible critic once in a while. you could learn some things.
…all you guys are narrow minded faggots, i remember playing with the faceless and animosity before they traded drummers, and they still suck and deathcore is tight, but none of it has as much talent as bands such as ION DISSONCE(old stuff, breathing is irrelavent, and fucking SOLACE, one of the best albums ever besides the dillingers calculating infinity, and real music is fucking CAR BOMB’S CENTRALIA!!! and everything nowadays just jocks botch, american nervoso, the beginning of all to come, that shit was written in th 90’s FUCK like calculating infinity, bottom line deathcore jocks everyone and people are love some bands while others hate, i don’t get why all shit talk is even so necesary, does it make you guys penis’s feel bigger or something… real brutal shit is mathcore or mathmatical metal, whatever the fuck you want to call it, you guys all fail… hahahahahahhahhahahahha
one more thing, the brutalest band out there is PSYOPUS but i know none of you guys could comprehend their complex rythms unusual time signatures, but i recomend their album Odd Sences to every whos not narrow minded faggots…
Wow, I was just searching to see if the name was from the video game code and found this…. A lot of hate for these guys just doing what they do. I think any band deserves respect for that. Much love and respect to anyone who has the heart to eat shit for what they love to do. This band is on the road eating fucking top ramen and taking gas station bathroom showers… Fuck all you guys talking shit. If you don’t like it. cool. if its generic. cool. Thats your opinion and your entitled to it.
I’ll be stoked to play with them tomorrow night and read some other assholes talking shit about my band not having enough breakdowns, too many blast beats and guitar harmonies.. and god forbid a singing chorus… assholes.
i love the album … sure it sounds like every other metal band that focuses on breakdowns, but i like metal, and i like breakdowns, so i sure as hell like abacabb. looking forward to their next album.
lol Go to college and learn how to write a review you music faggot. Abacabb are ignorant as fuck . Hopefully they don’t care about fulfilling the razor sharp taste of puss-cake music fags. I hope their next album has you faggot metal journalists bitching even more.
Drums are triggered perfectly. Fills are dope and overall style is phenominal.
Vocals, boring,yet coherent, brutal. gets the job done. If the drumming was my favorite on survalist, the vocals come in second place. I might go ahead and say these are my favourite vocals.
Guitars and bass, innovative and co-operative as fuck. everything locks and unlocks with each other perfectly. Overal song writing is mathmatically interesting without sacrific to the “groove”.
LIVE go see them to believe the energy put out. Lights, “posessed choreography”, amazing execution of songs. from what I’ve seen people who havent even heard of them at shows get riled up.
ABACABB is too filthy for you.
i straight up hate hardcore and how shitty most ‘deathcore’ is these days but somehow i came across this album and i think its great. i have absoutley no problem calling it generic, but overall i think the quality is good. people need to calm the fuck down judging the name, big fucking deal! every band sounds the fucking same at these shows days. its truly pathetic. how these untalented fucks can go it and be ’successful’ with this generic bullshit. not to be ann asshole ofcourse. and im sorry for getting off subject. but thats how the fuck it is
I understand how some people don’t like it because it’s a bit generic, but I honestly love this album. I have been listening to it since before it even came out, and still listen to it today. SUMERIAN RECORDS FOREVER1!111!!!!11!
Yeah I always though Abacabb were the weakest band on Sumerian. They sound almost exactly like Acacia Strain to me. No thanks.
I don’t care how “good a show” you put on, if your music is shitty then it doesn’t matter to me.
I would just like to say… OCEANO FUCKING KILLS
you’re a douche for saying that
and yes ABACABB is on my “not the best of the Sumerian lineup” list
but they are touring and doing what the love
gotta give them props
they just need to step it up
and not sound like chug chug pull fuck you chug pull
just for the record ABACABB has been around years longer than Oceano.