Album Spotlight

Amebix - Sonic Mass (2011)

The band Amebix has always been a pretty legendary in my eyes since I was first introduced to their brand of crusty punk and never really thought they would ever release a new album. Amebix always kinda boggled my mind and I didn't like them when I first was getting into punk. Their sound to me was weird, unorthodox, and groundbreaking, something I was not looking for at the time in a punk band. Coming back to hear the bands releases later on I started to appreciate each of them more, and especially the development of their sound between their two LP's Arise and  Monolith. So now we are presented with a new Amebix album after 24 years and I am not dissappointed at all!

The band takes Sonic Mass in a logical direction when looking at the progression that happened between Arise and  Monolith. If you are expecting an  Arise part II then you may be disappointed, but I would hope that wouldnt be the case after Amebix displayed their evolution on Monolith. With that being said Sonic Mass taken that formula and buiilt upon it. Here we have an amazing blend of classic Amebix mixing with a modern version, a version that doesnt sound like they are just popping in after 24 years to record a comeback album. Sonic Mass  is well crafted and thought out, and sounds as an Amebix album should in 2011.

You can hear the traces of crust punk, the post-hardcore and those are built upon by thrashing riffs, post-metal/doom heaviness, and a folk kick that bathory would be proud of. The production on this album is amazing, and the sound is overall crisp and defined. Amebix is definitely not afraid to use the technology of today to further enhance the quality of their sound. The obvious comparison, and many have said already, that this sounds like a lost Killing Joke record from the 80's. I definitely see the comparison, and I would also say that both bands were contemporaries of each other and provided just as much influence for their respective sound.

Either way, we have an awesome new record (one better than anything Killing Joke has put out recently) from a legendary band who still shows it has not lost touch with what it originally set out to do, and can still put out a damn good heavy album. If you are fans of Monolith, and if you havent heard Amebix before but love heavy music then check it out. Here is a little sample