A Hope For Home - In Abstraction
Rating
RIYL
Cult of LunaRosetta
Thrice
Explosions in the Sky
Release Date
12/06/2011
Label
Facedown RecordsTracklist
1. Calm2. Out of Ruin, Misery
3. Firewind
4. Tides
5. The House Where You Were Born
6. Weaved
7. Everything That Rises Must Converge
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Ladies and gentlemen, here is the cure to Russian Circles Disease. This album's sound is perfectly wrapped up for you as a belated Christmas present for your ears. Every note is the antithesis of the sheer boredom of last year’s Empros. To top it all off, this may be the best Christian release since Jesus Freak, but to limit this album by those terms (hell, any terms), would be utterly useless. This isn’t just a great album; it’s a work of art.
Here is the recipe for an amazing post-metal release. Take the best parts of The Alchemy Index-era Thrice and latter-day As Cities Burn and triturate them vigorously into a mixing bowl. Then fill a two-cup measuring dish with post-rock/metal, pouring over a sifter to ensure no Russian Circles residue remains. Now add that into the mixing bowl. Sprinkle intelligent lyrics over the mixture. Stir slightly and refrigerate, letting the mixture cool and mature overnight. Serve in a quiet room with coffee or alcohol, if desired.
One of the biggest successes of In Abstraction is the astuteness of the lyrics. Every song takes a deep look into the psyche of man, be it through nautical metaphors (“Tides”) or through fire or earth. The beauty in the lyrics, though, is that while there is a stylistic similarity to The Alchemy Index, In Abstraction is its own entity. Each line hits deep to the truths of mankind, but they also flow perfectly from the moods of the music. The calmer pieces are more poignant than powerful while the fiery phrases are like a blowtorch to the brain. Lines like, “Forever we break and cannot mend, as crowns fall from the heads of men,” ring true in more ways than one and add another layer of depth to an already profound release.
I cannot stress this enough: the album must be experienced. In Abstraction isn’t an album that is perfect for road trips, working out, or as background music to keep you awake during late-night study sessions. A Hope for Home has crafted a work of art that needs to be taken in on its own with no distractions, save for the lyrics sheet. That in itself is the only flaw of the album: that it is a selfish bastard. It needs to you pay attention to it; no, it grabs you by the throat and demands attention. And with each new listen, the listener is more and more appreciative of the album’s demands. This is a crowning achievement not just for post-metal or Christian music, but for a band that was once decried as an Underoath rip-off. Welcome to the release you wished you listened to more last year.
--Nick Senior
Comments
Lehigh Valley, PA
This is going to be another Hands for me. This is super bland in my opinion. I was bored out of my mind while listening to it.
Bogotá, Colombia
I love this band and this album but I can't deny it may bore some times. Nevertheless, I think the key is in the way one approaches to the album. If you go to a classical music concert expecting to feel what a hardcore show could make you feel, you will be dissapointed and, almost certainly, fall asleep in a couple of minutes. I'm not saying this can be compared to classical music but, I think, the way it requires you to approach to it is closer to the classical music way. I like this review and I think it really captures that this isn't just another hardcore or whatever heavy music album, it's something different. However, I disagree with this being an album that grabs you by the balls and drains all your concentration, I think it requires a certain disposition by the listener. It's definitely not an easy listen, but I strongly recommend to listen to this on those insomnia nights when there's nothing else to do than stare at the wall and think.
Sorry for my lame english.
lastfm.es/user/carlosIramirez
Madison
i've been meaning to check this out!
Baton Rouge
Right on, man. This is pretty good, but it's extremely pensive music, definitely stuff you have to be in the mood for. Also, to say that this is the best Christian release in SEVENTEEN years is a bit much. It's decent stuff, but they need to add a little more life to the proceedings.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Columbus, OH
I admit there's a hint of hyperbole there, which I normally hate, but this album just clicked on all cylinders for me. Musically, lyrically, and thematically. I found the more I listened to it, the less I felt that I had to fully immerse myself in it, but I definitely had to do that on first listen.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Baton Rouge
Cool, man. Your enthusiasm definitely made the review more enjoyable to read, and got me to check out the album in the first place, so right on.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/