By Andrew Bansal
July 14th 2015, Complex, Glendale CA: Longstanding extreme metal tyrants Abigail Williams recently leased a box set called ‘From Legend To Becoming’ comprising their debut EP ‘Legend’ and all three full-length albums, and are currently in the midst of a US headline tour. As part of run, Abigail Williams played a Los Angeles area gig last Tuesday July 14 2015 at the home of underground music i.e. Complex in Glendale, with local support acts Conjuror, Mortis Inanis and Deth Crux, for a gig put together by LA metal promotion machine Church Of The 8th Day in association with black metal and cat meme experts The Elegy Ensemble.
Deth Crux, a very new entity featuring the talents of Farron Loathing (Lightning Swords Of Death) on vocals and Los Angeles underground photographer extraordinaire Adam Murray on bass, started the show at 9 PM with a short four-song, 22-minute set. The quintet could be described as ‘death rock’, and unlike the other bands on this lineup, they presented a clean-singing vocal style, but in reality they made for an ideal support act for a band like Abigail Williams. The overall sonic and visual vibe of their live show comes across as pleasantly dark, and the usage of snyth added a certain degree of uniqueness to it. Deth Crux were as enjoyable as any band at this show, and if they weren’t such a new band in its formative stages, they’d be higher on the bill. LA underground metal fans have yet another worthwhile new group to be excited about.
Next was black metal trio Mortis Inanis, who couldn’t quite make the same kind of impact. For a black metal band, they lacked aggression, and sounded flat and one-dimensional. To pull off such a generic style of extreme music, this band needs to incorporate a certain degree of firepower and improve their stage presence. In all honesty, they should have been the opening act and Deth Crux should have played above them.
In contrast, Conjuror played a highly impressive set, to the extent that the crowd demanded an encore from them and they obliged. Conjuror came to this stage all guns blazing with tremendous power and presence, complete with a whole array of facial expressions, and did everything a good black metal band should. They also carry a discernible rock ‘n roll element which always makes extreme metal more interesting. Candles lit atop a Peavey 5150 amp on stage right just about summed it up.
And lastly at around 11:45, Abigail Williams took the stage and delved into their self-created brand of atmospheric black metal which they’ve honed so expertly over their decade-long existence. Their set comprised only four songs in total because of their length, and included material from the latest 2012 album ‘Becoming’, such as the tune ‘Ascension Sickness’, and the 18-minute epic ‘Beyond The Veil’ as the apt set closer. Abigail Williams is one of those bands that never disappoint when it comes to their live show. They used to tour a lot more often, as opening acts for bigger touring bands, but it is in fact a good thing that their touring is more selective now, and that they almost exclusively come around as headliners. And even as Abigail Williams continue to satiate audiences wherever they perform, their next studio album is eagerly awaited.
The turnout was great for a show of this nature on a Tuesday night, even though I’m getting increasingly tired of seeing the actual turnout far lower than the number of people that RSVP on the official facebook event page as ‘going’. But as always, soundman Daniel Dismal brought the best out of all bands. Overall, an entertaining extreme metal outing.
Remaining Tour Dates:
7/17 Albuquerque, NM @ The Jam Spot
7/18 Denver, CO @ Bushwacker’s
7/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Area 51
7/20 Boise, ID @ The Shredder
7/23 Olympia, WA @ Obsidian
7/25 Vancouver, BC @ Hindenburg
7/26 Spokane, WA @ The Pin
7/27 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven