:: The Human Abstract - Nocturne

The Human Abstract

It’s rare that a band genuinely defies any one particular genre tag, and although lumped within the metalcore banner, Los Angeles based The Human Abstract (comprising of vocalist Nathan Ells, guitarist/pianist A.J. Minette, guitarist Dean Herrera, bassist Kenny Arehart and drummer Brett Powell) prove there’s more to their sound than the tired metallic hardcore format of recent years on their Hopeless Records debut ‘Nocturne’.
After a brief classically influenced acoustic introduction (which is explored further on the album in ‘Sotto Voce’ and ‘Desiderata’), the band begin ‘Harbinger’ with some slow harmonised guitar work, before launching fully into the heart of the song with yet another direction. Fusing melodic guitar work, dual vocal effects (Ells switches between growled and clean passages with complete ease), technical instrumental passages and huge choruses, The Human Abstract easily sound like a combination of God Forbid, Between The Buried And Me, Mercenary and Candiria, without sounding like any one of the acts exclusively. ‘Self Portraits Of The Instincts’ takes the lead of the opener one step further with its constant time changes and the endless flashy display of the guitarist’s abilities, but all the while the band manage to keep things interesting with those memorable choruses.

Tracks such as the title track ‘Nocturne’ and ‘Channel Detritus’ on the other hand move to the other extreme, allowing the tracks to move from movement to movement, showcasing the many different influences that make up the bands sound (Whether it be metalcore, mathcore, thrash, progressive metal or power metal), which ultimately renders any particular genre tag impossible and somewhat pointless. ‘Crossing The Rubicon’, ‘Movement From Discord’, ‘Polaris’ and ‘Mea Culpa’ are by and large the most accessible numbers on the album with their huge melodic choruses and simpler structures while ‘Echelons To Molotovs’ and ‘Vela, Together We Await The Storm’ manage to express the aggressive side of the band, without sacrificing the subtle melodic tendencies of the group’s distinctive song writing.

With ‘Nocturne’, The Human Abstract has managed to produce an album that not only stuns, but also confuses in equal measure. And while admittedly not every song on ‘Nocturne’ flows as well as hoped, there are more than enough elements on this album that work, and promise that The Human Abstract’s next album will be highly anticipated by those fortunate enough to listen without judgement.