Abyss
by Chelsea Wolfe
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 52
  3. Negative: 2 out of 52
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  1. PaleEyedFever
    Aug 8, 2015
    9
    I was really interested to see where Chelsea Wolfe would be heading with her music after the change in artistry she displayed with her last release 'Pain is Beauty'; another very fine album. Her latest release of 'Abyss' has yet another shift into a much darker and vulnerable place, and it's absolutely fantastic to be there.

    Throughout 'Abyss', Chelsea shows a lot of influence from    I was really interested to see where Chelsea Wolfe would be heading with her music after the change in artistry she displayed with her last release 'Pain is Beauty'; another very fine album. Her latest release of 'Abyss' has yet another shift into a much darker and vulnerable place, and it's absolutely fantastic to be there.

    Throughout 'Abyss', Chelsea shows a lot of influence from metal, but does so in a way that doesn't detract from her trademark sounds and melodies. The result is both brutal and heartbreaking. It's a little reminiscent of her 'Apokalypsis' album, but with a more refined pallet. The production on 'Abyss' might be where this album shines the most. It envelops the listener into the world Chelsea is painting with her music in such a way that captures everything this album wants to be.

    My only criticism of 'Abyss' is that it does drag out a tad with the last few songs, but these are still wonderful tracks. There isn't one bad moment to be had and Chelsea has come through yet again with a solid, timeless album.

    Favourite tracks: Carrion Flowers, Maw, After the Fall, Crazy Love    … Expand
  2. ImSedated
    Aug 29, 2015
    9
    What an amazing album, to date this is one of my favorite in my collection of mixed genres from rap to country. Iron Moon is a powerful, powerful song. Her collaborations seem to be work really well. I love the boys from Russian Circles and to see her carry on a working relationship after Memorial is a delight to hear.
    Unfortunately I am late to her bandwagon party, only hearing her    What an amazing album, to date this is one of my favorite in my collection of mixed genres from rap to country. Iron Moon is a powerful, powerful song. Her collaborations seem to be work really well. I love the boys from Russian Circles and to see her carry on a working relationship after Memorial is a delight to hear.
    Unfortunately I am late to her bandwagon party, only hearing her music by chance from listening to the new music featured on Itunes. But in the end, now that I've purchased two of her albums and will complete the collection soon enough it's nice to have a new artist to listen to regardless when I discovered her. .    … Expand
  3. Bersum
    Jun 10, 2016
    10
    I discovered Chelsea Wolfe recently and it has become one of my favourite artists, her music is fantastic and engaging. Her previous album was marvellous, but this one is even better.
  4. Jammy
    May 7, 2017
    9
    Abyss is that metaphorical black dog of depression painted as a wolf; not a quiet melancholy tugging at your leg every morning, but a fierce, hungry, soul-sapping monster biting at your neck.
    Chelsea Wolfe's album is a menacing, beautiful and crushing masterpiece. Its sound palette is grungey and industrial, and Wolfe's ethereal vocals float on top of the walls of distortion like a    Abyss is that metaphorical black dog of depression painted as a wolf; not a quiet melancholy tugging at your leg every morning, but a fierce, hungry, soul-sapping monster biting at your neck.
    Chelsea Wolfe's album is a menacing, beautiful and crushing masterpiece. Its sound palette is grungey and industrial, and Wolfe's ethereal vocals float on top of the walls of distortion like a spectral haunting. It's consistently gloomy, but delivers enough light and dark to avoid becoming monotonous. There are fantastic choruses and crescendos throughout - Iron Moon and Dragged Out being particular highlights. Wolfe should be proud.
    Score: 9/10 [Excellent]    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. The Quietus
    Sep 8, 2015
    80
    Metal is a cradle-to-grave church of the outsider; birth occurring when you first heard Black Sabbath, Slayer or Metallica. On Abyss, however, Los Angeles' Chelsea Wolfe dabbles in it, owns it, then walks away.
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  2. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Aug 18, 2015
    90
    Abyss neatly encompasses the totality of her career, synthesizing the artist’s prolific catalog into her strongest and most ambitious album yet, a cavernous chasm filled with beauty, brutality, and endless possibility.
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  3. Record Collector
    Aug 17, 2015
    80
    Things become a little more introspective later on, with acoustic guitars, abstract soundscapes and restrained percussive patterns taking the fore, but, thankfully, the material remains hypnotic throughout.
    Read full review
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