Knights Of The Abyss - Shades

Knights Of The Abyss hail from Arizona. They've been around for a few years, and one of their members is ex Job For A Cowboy drummer Andy Rysdam. After releasing their full-length debut last year, they've signed with Ferret Music, and their sophomore effort should see wider exposure and distribution.

Shades is prototypical deathcore, with galloping riffs, squealing fills and frequent breakdowns. It's a concept record of sorts, with inspiration coming from Dante's Inferno. The songs chronicle the descent into the various levels of hell.

Knights Of The Abyss' vocal situation is a unique one. Vocalist Mike Manheimer injured his vocal cords a while ago and the band brought in a replacement to tour last summer. His voice still wasn't recovered in time to record this CD, so they brought in Dustin Curtis of A Breath Before Surfacing to do the vocals. Manheimer is now back performing with Knights Of The Abyss. Curtis does a good job. High pitched yells and low pitched growls give the vocals some variety.

There's not quite as much variety in the songs. Knights Of The Abyss show flashes of creativity and innovation, but too often they fall back on the standard deathcore formula. Shades is a progression and improvement on their last CD for Knights Of The Abyss, and there's still plenty of room for growth.

(released June 24, 2008 on Ferret Music)