The very idea of innovation is to be as creative as possible and push yourself as far as you feel you can go as an artist in the name of creating something new the likes of which the world has not seen before or, at least, something rarely seen. Rock has long been a playing field for experimentation, and some bands like to take it to a whole different level that we don’t get exposed to very often, and it’s bands like Abstruse that show us why exactly we keep coming back time and again.
It hasn’t been since the last album from Arkheth that I’ve come across something so experimental that actually works in its only weird little world that seems to have its own rules about music, and it’s immensely intriguing to listen to from all angles. This is far from a listen that’s meant to be catchy or anything along the lines of what we’d normally expect from rock, and to say that Abstruse pulled off “Submerge: Ritual” with a surprising amount of quality would be putting it mildly. There isn’t a single moment throughout this mind-bending and rule-breaking record that doesn’t push the very boundaries of psychedelia itself as Abstruse does not shy away in any capacity to bring us something that’s just as confusing to comprehend as it is bewildering to behold. “Submerge: Ritual” constantly challenges itself to become something that no one else has brought to life before, and each track does a fantastic job at bringing to life some of the strangest creations that I’ve ever seen brought to the world of not just its vein of rock, but music in general as I couldn’t think of any other band that could match what Abstruse has done here with great rewards being found in every song that’s thrown our way. This record has so much more than I was expecting to hear when I first dove into its contents, and it’s with an immense pleasure that I emerged out of it with my eyes opened to a wide realm of experimentation that many other bands wouldn’t dare to even attempt, but it’s at every turn here with “Submerge: Ritual” that Abstruse demonstrates themselves to be clear masters of their amazingly unusual craft.
I’ve always been fond of bands that refuse to sit in one spot as they wish to explore sonic areas that we have rarely been to if at all, and I couldn’t think of a better example of that with rock than Abstruse who has taken the idea to a new level with this album that breaks just about every sort of boundary you can think of. If you’re ready to immerse yourself in what’s constantly on display with “Submerge: Ritual” then you’re in for a treat that’s ripe for sinking your teeth right into as it has loads of enjoyment to be had, and if you’re not ready, you’ll be dazzled by something that is as exceedingly strange as it is weirdly engrossing.
LISTEN to “Submerge: Ritual” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Abstruse on Facebook here.
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