Abrams is a three piece band out of Denver, Colorado who use their relative newness to the heavy music world as an advantage. The group lists a mix of sludge metal and hardcore bands as their influences and it shows in their music, but not to the extent that they come off as a cover band. With their latest album, Lust. Love. Loss. they have the unique aspect of having a novice sound that is also developed.

The two opening tracks ‘Manic’ and ‘Sea Salt Lines’ sound a little too similar to each other which leaves the listener wondering if the entire album is that way, but then ‘Sunshine’ bursts through. The group finds more of their footing with the track and also finds the balance between the aforementioned subgenres.

Guitarist Zach Amster’s playing begins to sharpen on ‘Far From Home’. Here one can start to pick up on the influence Brann Dailor of Mastodon has had on Amster. He delivers sound fully on standout track ‘Mr. Pink Always Wins’ as does his twin, drummer Michael Amster. The guitar and drum parts work great not only with each other, but with the vocals as well. Each instrument has its opportunity to shine.

‘The Moat’ is less than a minute which is plenty of time for the band to create an interesting piece. ‘The Light’ is much the same way but longer. Both of the tracks prove that Abrams can hit the nail on the head when it comes to paying homage to bands they draw influence from while making their own sound.

In terms of vocals, the singing style is hardcore but the sound is heavy metal. That being said, one would not refer to Abrams as being a metalcore outfit. They sound like A Day to Remember if they had more heaviness and less pop to them. Abrams is a good band for people who enjoy a lot of yelling. Lust. Love. Loss. shows just how great the combination of two subgenres can be when a group as inspired as Abrams comes around.

7.5/10

MELISSA CAMPBELL