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STATIC ABYSS “The Dying Hunt”
STATIC ABYSS “The Dying Hunt”
By Theron Moore
The skull-crushing majesty of STATIC ABYSS returns with “The Dying Hunt”, set for release August 28 through Peaceville Records. If the sheer brutality packed into this album is any indication, there may not be many survivors left standing when the dust settles. This is an unapologetically punishing record, one that doesn’t merely flirt with extremity but grabs it by the throat and refuses to let go.
STATIC ABYSS emerged in the early 2020s, combining the ugliest and most effective elements of death metal, doom, and crust punk. At the heart of the band are underground metal veterans Greg Wilkinson of DEATHGRAVE on guitar and bass and Chris Reifert of AUTOPSY on vocals.
The pair established the band’s sonic identity with 2022’s “Labyrinth of Veins” and 2023’s “Aborted From Reality”. For “The Dying Hunt”, Chad Gailey of NECROT takes over behind the drum kit, adding even more firepower to an already formidable lineup. “The Dying Hunt” is so damn good it practically stacks the deck against the competition. With three veterans of this caliber behind it, though, maybe we should have seen it coming. Mosh-stomping tempos, crust-infused death metal, and crushing doom passages collide throughout the album, creating a relentless sonic assault that kicks you square in the teeth and laughs as you try to recover.
Reifert delivers his unmistakable death growls, Wilkinson constructs an absolutely massive wall of spine cracking guitar, and Gailey pounds away with the kind of thunderous precision you’d expect from a NECROT drummer. These guys are professionals, and their collective experience is evident in every track.
What really makes “The Dying Hunt” work, though, is that none of it feels calculated or phoned in. There is genuine passion behind the violence, and that comes through loud and clear. I usually like to single out a few standout tracks, but there’s no point doing that here. The entire album deserves the spotlight.
“The Dying Hunt” is honest-to-god, no-bullshit, killer metal from beginning to end. Stream it, buy it, blast it loud, and prepare to make some room on that year-end list.This one has already earned a spot on mine.
5/5 Stars
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