“There’s permanence written in my veins.”
Formed in 2019, Adelaide’s alt. are relative newcomers to the scene. Having released an EP, dysfunctional, and toured with notable names in scene such as Northlane and Sleep Token, the Australian up-and-comers add to SharpTone Records’ ever-growing roster with their debut full-length record, Abeyance. Sonically, alt.’s approach leans more on the accessible side, with a heavy emphasis on the vocals of Daniel Cullen-Richards. He puts forward a strong performance, at moments comparable to Thornhill’s Jacob Charlton, who is clearly a source of inspiration even on dysfunctional. The band’s sound can be described as alternative metal, with parallels easy to draw with contemporaries Banks Arcade.
Abeyance starts solidly, playing to Cullen-Richards’ strengths and delivering bite-sized heavier moments, with a layer of electronics adding dynamics to the sound. However, a glaring gripe makes itself known from the gates: the mix. At points, the instrumentals sound suffocated and shoved into the background. “The Great Depression” exhibits a rather egregious example of this, where the guitars sound almost MIDI, and a piercingly sharp tambourine sound plagues the chorus – a distraction that pulled me out of the song altogether.
The front half of the record appears to be undergoing an identity crisis, where it doesn’t know what it wants to be. The tracks roughly follow the same structure of cleans-over-heavy-instrumentals with a heavy moment thrown in, making most of it blend together. “Back To Earth” is a particularly confusing track, taking on an alt rock style on the chorus that isn’t present anywhere else on the album. The heavy, downtuned guitars create for a contrast which should work in theory but in execution is rather off-putting. Throwing in a ham fisted breakdown with rap vocals layered on it, the track aspires to be many things at once but succeeds at being none of them.
The lyrical content generally leaves much to be desired as well, with “A.D.D” relying on the hackneyed trope of drowning metaphors that infest the scene. Most of the tracks suffer from this bland lyricism, ranging from tired religious parallels to vague, edgy lines. The album thankfully picks up literally halfway through, with “APEP” finally choosing to commit to a heavier sound. The infuriating tambourine sound makes a return, albeit less prominent in the mix. Jack Bergin of Void of Vision makes an appearance on the track, helping to push the heavier agenda of the track and really cementing its identity.
The last four tracks of Abeyance are easily the most cohesive part of the record, taking a more emotional angle with tracks that slowly build in intensity. “The Only Good Thing” is a highlight of this marked improvement in quality, progressing smoothly and pleasantly. The album’s title track hits a peak in its heaviest moment in the breakdown, demonstrating some proper chunk and some impressive layered screams, although it is a moment that is all too fleeting. It is a shame that the previous issues highlighted are still present in what is arguably the stronger part of the album.
With its inconsistencies and lack of clear direction, Abeyance does not make the impact it intends to. It undoubtedly has potential, especially in the vocals department, and there are some interesting ideas instrumentally which are introduced intermittently. It is then all the more frustrating that the shining moments are often buried in a pile of muddy production and half-assed attempts at accessible heaviness. The record trods into the grass a potentially clearer path that the band can move towards, but it remains to be seen which way future projects will lean.
5/10
Abeyance releases June 15th via SharpTone Records, and you can pre-order it here.