Band:	Abysmal Dawn
Album:	Phylogenesis
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	April 17, 2020
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Mundane Existence
02. The Path Of The Totalitarian
03. Hedonistic
04. A Speck In The Fabric Of Eternity
05. Coerced Evolution
06. True To The Blind
07. Soul‐Sick Nation
08. The Lament Configuration

With such a vast array of death metal music to digest, ever expanding into uncharted territories supported by newfound influences and sources of inspiration, sometimes what you need is a simple hefty dose of straightforward brutality to absorb.

Cue Abysmal Dawn.

Evidently far from interested in offering groundbreaking never-before-heard auditory experimentation, this American quartet, spearheaded by the only remaining member, Charles Elliott (vocals, guitars) aim only to deliver that archetypal modern death metal that leaves you feeling either disconnected or amazed. Not overly technical, yet continuously striving to inject more interesting licks and playful melodies into their sound, there's still a noticeable issue with what's on display that reaches back through the band's discography all the way to their 2006 debut, From Ashes: it's a mechanical collection of forced riffs overlaying triggered drums. Moments of fun manage to trickle through and even entice a mild head nod or two throughout, but the manufactured for mass consumption production quality seriously negates any bite in the delivery. It's a counter-intuitive juxtaposition that permeates the current death metal scene, with increasingly prim and polished radio friendly vibes diminishing the grit and gruel needed for this style of music to work.

Clocking in at just over 40 minutes, the most prominent attribute of Phylogenesis is that it doesn't feel burdensome or excessive. Its efficiency makes up for most of its detractors, skillfully navigating through its few ideas without beating any dead horses, and the musicianship is standard value in relation to the band's peers. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough elements that stand out and demand the listener's attention, beyond a few solos, chugs, and breakdowns. It's bland and somewhat empty, with its aggression tempered and neutered behind a wall of sheen.

Abysmal Dawn can't be faulted entirely for this kind of album, mind you. It takes record labels and production staff and sales reports to churn out this type of material: safe, tested, established, and agreeable to the masses. Not every outfit has to push the envelope in order to be critically acclaimed, but staying true to the origins of a genre also means not abandoning the core principles that made it worth re-creating or paying homage to in the first place. Phylogenesis is merely another run-of-the-mill box checker release, and that pattern is now so ingrained into Abysmal Dawn that it would be completely unexpected for them to break that mold with any future material. A steady diet of early Obituary and Cryptopsy might help steer them back towards more viable concepts they appear to be trying to execute, but that would interrupt this snowball careening down the assembly line mountain.