Abest – Molten Husk
Release Date: 19th August 2022
Label: Moment of Collapse Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Metal, Hardcore.
FFO: Full of Hell, Cult Leader, Yautja.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Molten Husk is the 3rd album by German Post-Hardcore band, Abest, and it is obvious that, 3 albums in, they are starting to hit their stride.
Opening with a discordant riff, ‘Through the Veins’ is the first track on the album, the track morphs into a riff that could be found on a Prong album, but the harsh vocals and signature changes on the track dissuade that notion and the listener is left with a slight hint of satisfaction when the excellent track opens.
The structure of the opening track is often repeated throughout the album, and this will be the key to if you appreciate it or not. Urgent riffs permeate the tracks on offer, the captivating, throat shredding vocals of Josha offer the necessary distraction and the carnage that unfolds in its 31-minute run time is ultimately rewarding.
Molten Husk benefits from being a short album. Often an intense listen, I’m not sure I could have listened to this album as often as I have if it were 45-minutes long. That said, some of the songs are so short, they are gone before you know it, but on the flip side, no track outstays its welcome.
The downside of a short album is that tracks can often fade into another. This is a hole that Abest just about manage to avoid. With 2 tracks coming in under 2-minutes, Molten Husk have managed the track listing to ensure that there is clear differentiation between the tracks.
There are a couple of issues with Molten Husk, one of the short songs, ‘Cognitive Empathy’, isn’t up to the standard of the rest of the album. It is almost filler in an album that isn’t long enough for filler. The second issue is that the album lacks diversity. It is in your face the entire time and that, for some, may pose a problem.
That said, these issues don’t drag the album down too much for me, there are far more plus points than negative, and at the end of the day, there is always a spare half hour in your day for Post-Metal Hardcore!
(3.5 / 5)
