As someone who’s been following this band’s tumultuous journey since their symphonic black metal beginnings, I was starting to wonder if we’d ever see another full-length from one of America’s most criminally underrated acts. Well, wonder no more – A Void Within Existence has arrived, and it’s a devastating reminder of why Abigail Williams deserves far more recognition than they’ve received.
From the moment “Life Disconnected” tears through your speakers with its discordant fury, it’s clear that this isn’t just another black metal album – it’s a statement of intent from a band that’s finally found their perfect sonic identity. The production, handled by Sorceron himself and given the final polish by Dave Otero (whose work with Cattle Decapitation and Aborted speaks for itself), strikes that elusive balance between rawness and clarity that so many extreme metal releases fumble.
What immediately strikes you about A Void Within Existence is how it synthesizes everything Abigail Williams has explored over their near two-decade career. The atmospheric passages that made In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns so compelling? They’re here, but refined and purposeful. The aggressive directness that powered their more recent output? Present and accounted for, but with added layers of complexity that reveal themselves with each listen.
“Talk to Your Sleep” might be the album’s most insidious track – a slow-burning nightmare that creeps under your skin and refuses to leave. There’s something genuinely unsettling about the way Sorceron’s vocals weave through the hypnotic riffing, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and utterly alien. It’s the kind of song that makes you question whether you’re listening to music or being subjected to some form of psychological experiment.
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The real triumph here is how cohesive everything feels. Where previous Abigail Williams albums sometimes felt like collections of great ideas that didn’t quite gel, A Void Within Existence flows like a single, uninterrupted descent into darkness. “Embrace the Chasm” serves as the album’s epic centrepiece – a sprawling composition that showcases the band’s ability to build tension and release it in devastating waves. The way it builds from whispered malevolence to full-throated chaos is masterful.
“Still Nights” strips away any pretence of subtlety – this is hostility incarnate, pure and simple. The track hits like a sledgehammer to the solar plexus, with drumming that feels like machine-gun fire and riffs that could level buildings. It’s the kind of song that reminds you why extreme metal exists in the first place – to channel emotions too intense for polite society.
Perhaps most impressively, Abigail Williams has managed to create something that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. The “void” referenced in the title isn’t just existential philosophy – it’s a tangible presence that permeates every moment of these seven tracks. This is music for 3 AM contemplation, for those moments when the weight of existence becomes almost unbearable.
“This record was born in the quiet hours, when everything felt hollow,” Sorceron reflects. “A Void Within Existence isn’t just a title – it’s a feeling I couldn’t shake while writing. There’s a loneliness threaded through these songs that came from somewhere deeper than I expected.”
A Void Within Existence feels like vindication. This is Abigail Williams at their most focused, most brutal, and most emotionally honest. It’s the album that should finally silence the doubters and cement their place in the pantheon of American extreme metal.
Six years was worth the wait. This is essential listening for anyone who believes black metal can still evolve, still surprise, still matter.
A Void Within Existence isn’t just a return to form – it’s a quantum leap forward.
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A Void Within Existence is out on July 18th via Angonia Records
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