Reviews    Abdullah - S/T (MeteorCity)
by Chris Barnes

If there is a chance that Doom can have widespread appeal, it's right here. Abdullah's first full-length release is nothing short of an extraordinary listening experience. The arrangements are clean, the production is near flawless (sounds fantastic on a pair of Bose speakers) the lyrics are among the best this doomhead has heard in the genre, and there is a clear-cut juxtaposition between beauty and dread in each soulful tune which makes the whole damn thing awfully compelling.

Jeff Shrilla (vocals, drums) and Alan Seibert (guitars) have created a masterpiece. Even the packaging this release comes with reflects a painstaking attention to detail and the upmost in quality. The CD booklet itself is a work of art, mixing obscure symbols with photographs and vintage hand-drawn pictures that accompany the lyrics inside. The booklet is a perfect complement for the accompanying music and vice-versa. I get the feeling that these two are perfectionists in every sense of the word.

"The Path to Enlightenment", a stern warning against the chasing of riches and the resulting poverty of soul, is the opening track and sets the standard for the rest of the music to come. The opening riff is a monster and the remainder of the song fluctuates between heavy doom riffage, heavy groove, beautiful, even uplifting passages and *gulp* harmonies! It, however, all comes together to work beautifully and this song alone can expand the musical horizons of how we view Doom. "Visions of the Daughters of Time" is a slow and low homage to being torn between life and death and a comes with an unexpected acoustic ending with a Dorbo. "Lucifer in Starlight" is a study of beauty in both lyrical content and music. A tale of Lucifer as a reluctant, solitary and lonely figure will bring a tear to even those most die-hard Christian. "Journey to Orange Island" features one of the heaviest retro-groove riffs that's bounced off my tympanic membrane yet. "Lotus Eaters" is an acoustic doom ballad (yeah, you read that right!) that showcases both Jeff's golden-throated talents as well as his immense capacity to write lyrics that entertain, inspire and provoke thought...this guy has read some classic literature in his day and has a way with the word that only a special few are gifted with.

All I can say is that MeteorCity has done it again with another outstanding release. Abdullah will be a band to be watched in the future. If they can sustain this type of quality output , they truly will have a place in the classic annals of not only Doom, but hard music itself.


Read the Hellride Music interview with Abdullah

Purchase Abdullah at the Hellride Music Super Store

Listen to a Real Audio sample of Earth's Answer

Visit the Abdullah website at www.stonerrock.com/abdullah

Copyright 2002 HellrideMusic.com
Review by Chris Barnes