Abandon All – Far Away
Finnish female-fronted metal band Abandon All has released its debut album, “Far Away.” The album’s lyrical theme is based on stories about human life and experiences. About sorrow, the loss of a loved one, the struggle with your inner demons, being bullied, and living your life with constant pain. The grim topics include subjects such as falling in love, friendship, and conquering yourself. Strong and emotional female vocals and melancholic guitar melodies lead the band’s sound.
https://www.facebook.com/abandonallofficial
Band Members:
- Juha Nygren – Guitars
- Kari Harjunniemi – Guitars
- Sami Heinonen – Bass
- Ami Havukainen – Drums
March 31, 2023
Tracklist:
- My Inner Demons
- . Forever Yours
- Soul Sisters
- Invisible
- Far Away
- Set Me Free
- Stupid People
- You
This album has no intro, just an opening volley of sound. Two guitars pummel your ears while the rhythm washes over you. The heavy riffs with the delicate lead work on the guitars feel like they represent the struggle of dealing with “My Inner Demons.” Clean vocals over the rich, dark riffs add more fuel to that inner fire and give the song even more sonic symbolism.
“Forever Yours” has more chugging guitar work but doesn’t feel as dark. The string bends on the guitars have a lighter tone, and the lyrics aren’t as desperate. Monia uses some nice grit in the vocals for this track, giving it more range to the emotion. Along the same lines, “Soul Sisters” has a more upbeat theme and tone while maintaining a certain heaviness. Ami and Sami drive the tempo home, keeping everything beautifully paced and consistent throughout the track.
“Invisible” and “Far Away” both feel like being out of touch with someone. It’s like those around you just don’t see you for who you really are. The connection just doesn’t quite click. The leads on the guitar are heavier here than in the early work but still have an intricacy and delicacy that offset the heaviness of the riff and rhythm.
“Far Away,” being the title track, gives it a special focus and meaning. The choppy riff and the drum pauses show a different skill set for the band. They have creative minds and build tons of excellent shifts and twists into this song. I see why they chose it for the title track. It’s my favorite on the album. The vocal delivery is amazing. The longer lines and phrasing are absolutely fantastic.
With “Set Me Free” and “Stupid People,” you get the other side of the loneliness argument. This is where trying to get away is the issue, not getting closer. Abandon All connect to the listener through relatable, identifiable lyrics and emotions. Being able to connect the lyrics and the music is a developed skill and something that often really catches my ear. Many bands I’ve grown to love over the last four decades as a metalhead have this piece firmly embedded in their offerings. Kudos to the songwriters for focusing on that aspect of the music.
The record closes with “You,” an upbeat, mid-tempo piece with killer melodic lines and a lower-end vocal delivery for the early sections that again showcases Monia’s range. The good thing is that the band is on an equal footing with her. She doesn’t soar over the music; she molds herself into it, becoming an integral part of the melody. This is an album you feel as much as you hear.
Abandon All wrote and recorded a solid album, something that is bound to hook the listener with its’ grooves and melodies as well as the words. We’ve all felt these emotions and had the struggles, so we connect in a visceral way that makes the album feel personal like they read our minds. They know us, they feel us, they are us.
MZ Ratings:
- Musicianship
- Guitars – 9
- Rhythms – 9
- Vocals – 9
- Songwriting – 10
- Production – 9
- Overall – 9.20
