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Abraxas > Wretched Existence > Reviews
Abraxas - Wretched Existence

Abraxas - Wretched Existence - 70%

ThrashManiacAYD, February 2nd, 2010

Fresh from having read about too many god-awful 'deathcore' bands in recent times the arrival of Abraxas and their debut EP "Wretched Existence" has come as a sweet relief in the need for something truly brutal. Having formed in May only last year, this is actually a re-release of their debut promo, which obviously caught the attention enough of Relapse to sign these New Yorkers up and expose their music to the world.

No time is spent messing around before the guttural blast of "Eternally Erased" is introduced to the world. What Abraxas do well in these four songs totalling 15 minutes is write songs full of chunky, sinewy riffs that fit the tight triggered drum sound of Lance Wright to a tee in a remarkably clear production. What Abraxas do not do so well however is perfect the art of originality. Okay they are not even a year old yet so I'll them off but if you know the sounds of Hate Eternal, Vital Remains, earlier Decrepit Birth and the likes, you will know exactly how this sounds. Like it you will too with "Folding For Our Own Demise" (suicide-origami, anyone?) edging it as my pick of the four over "A Species Untrue", but really nothing else need be said. This is how brutal modern-day death metal is made and if Abraxas can learn more about themselves and their perceived style, with a name like Relapse backing them their debut album could garner some strong attention in the near future.

Originally written for www.Rockfreaks.net