Album Review: Abandon All Ships: Geeving

This is the debut album from electrocore sextet Abandon All Ships. One of the main elements that made AAS stand out from all the other local hardcore bands was the coherent songwriting they displayed right from the start. Where other bands gave the feeling that they started a song, put together a bunch of ‘cool ideas’ the various members had, stuck in a few breakdowns, and decided to end it four minutes later, AAS did not. Five of the songs on this album are re-recorded versions of older songs, and all of them are improved. Some of the new songs are just as good as the old songs, while others aren’t. ‘Guardian Angel’ is the standout song, the one you’re most likely to be humming after hearing it. For some, the Auto-Tune will be a complaint, but this genre of music just wouldn’t be complete without it, like 80’s pop without saxophone solos. You get the impression though that when this genre is dead, AAS will adapt and survive because they have the pop sensibility. They seem one of the only bands playing electrocore other than Enter Shikari that would be playing it even if it wasn’t cliché at the moment. They genuinely do enjoy cheesy trance and brutal hardcore, and aren’t just doing it because everyone else is. If you haven’t heard AAS, just combine Basshunter and The Devil Wears Prada in your mind and you’re 9/10^ths of the way there.

-Scott Kendall

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Abandon All Ships