Chelsea Wolfe has returned this year with her most solid release yet. Abyss is a melting pot of darkwave, synthpop, goth rock, folk, noise rock, industrial rock, heavy metal, and the result of this massive recipe is spectacular. Never before has Ms. Wolfe sounded so full and powerful.
Vocals have always proved to be the strength of any Chelsea Wolfe release. The music accompanying her has proven sufficient as a backdrop in past releases, but Chelsea’s beautifully haunting voice would always outshine all other aspects of her work.
Abyss finally provides the listener with up-to-par instrumentals. “Iron Moon” finds the artist experimenting with crushing, sludgey riffs. This shouldn’t come as any sort of huge surprise due to her recent Burzum cover and tour with Sunn O))).
Chelsea Wolfe’s fifth LP is a personal record centered in atmosphere, vast Gothic imagery, and endlessly exploring the concept of dreams. Dreams can be beautiful, but nightmares can be horrifying. Abyss explores every spectrum in this chilling epic.