Abandon All is a five-piece Heavy Metal band from Finland. The Strong EP is their compelling follow-up to their debut album, Far Away (2023). It explores empowering themes, celebrating friendship, and navigating toxic relationships. With faster, more direct tracks, Abandon All maintains its distinctive sound, delivering an EP that transcends boundaries and amplifies the essence of inner strength. Female-fronted, this dynamic band captivates on more than just the massive voice of their lead singer. Powerful rhythms and rock-solid riffs are woven together by elegant lead guitar work, providing a stunning soundscape to augment the voice and deliver these timely, relevant messages.

https://abandon-all-official.webnode.fi/

Band Members:

  • Monia Sommer – Vocals
  • Juha Nygren – Guitars
  • Kari Harjunniemi – Guitars
  • Sami Heinonen – Bass
  • Ami Havukainen – Drums

Release Date:

February 15, 2024 – Inverse Records

https://www.inverse.fi/

Tracklist:

  1. The Wolf And The Owl
  2. Strong
  3. Fake You
  4. 37500

One of the first things you will notice about the tunes is the Melodic guitar work coupled with the powerhouse rhythms. The rapid-fire drumming that shifts from mid-tempo to fast-paced keeps the songs moving forward with both accuracy and technicality. The bass holds the rhythm with precision and the guitars complement all of that. Delicate leads and fills that vary from haunting melodies to killer solos tie the vocals into the tracks.

The voice stays clean and runs through a wide range of tones. Monia sometimes harmonizes with the guitar in a lower register, but she is more than capable of hitting a belted chest or soaring head voice notes as well. Abandon All ties the music and the lyrics together through the guitar/voice harmonies, deepening the relationship between the feel of the instruments and the meaning of the words. In “Strong,” the powerful vocals augment the excellent lead guitar work, all of which is supported with a massive riff/rhythm combination that is capable of providing the foundation necessary to hold that weight.

Pinch harmonic flairs from the lead guitar accentuate the tone of the riff and offset the voice in songs like “Fake You.” What you end up with is four songs on a 17-minute EP that show you why you want to go back and re-listen to their debut album, Far Away. Do this because the EP is going to whet your appetite for more Abandon All (see the review for that album here: https://www.metal-zenith.com/2023/03/31/abandon-all-far-away/) As you can see, we here at Metal Zenith are fans of this band and continue to be very impressed with their maturity and growth as musicians. Please give them a like, listen, and follow on social media. You will find their links at the bottom of this page.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 9
  •             Rhythms – 9
  •             Vocals – 9
  • Songwriting – 9
  • Production – 9

Overall – 9.00