Symphonic metal is a small niche in the multi-faceted metal genre that rarely gets the love it deserves. Bands such as Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, and Ad Infinitum take blazing guitars with emphatic beats and place them alongside choirs, orchestras, and strings — ultimately creating a unique sound that fits somewhere between Beethoven and Iron Maiden.
Since 2018, Melissa Bonny has regularly released music with Ad Infinitum, amping up their efforts with each album including an epic trilogy that many other bands could never hope to pull off. Their newest offering, “Abyss,” continues to further their little-known legacy.
As the album begins, “My Halo” creates the proper atmosphere, giving the audience enough pop sense to bop their heads without placing them in the Top 40 charts. This song is the literal translation of “heavy is the head that wears the crown.”
Here Bonny sings of shooting stars raining down on her halo and being unable to find her escape. Angels, kings, and gods all wear some sort of symbolism over their heads. They act as targets for rumors, blame, and justified lies — causing their holiness to be tarnished in many different ways.
With time, all greatness falls.
“Follow me Down” comes in a bit heavier than the first track, energizing the guitar riff before launching into Bonny’s beautiful serenade.
This song describes the complete darkness of depression. Strangely, we find comfort in the absence of light, finding solace in our oldest memories. Often, we don’t even want a way out.
If our friends aren’t willing to leave us here, they risk being taken down with us.
“Outer Space” launches us into pure metal territory, showcasing Melissa Bonny’s sinister growl at the forefront. Paired with her blissful cradlesong, this track becomes the perfect signature piece for the band.
The lyrics speak of going past your self-made limits. We all have a comfort zone where we reside most of the time. Beyond that is so much more.
If we can only become “untamed,” we can reach a new and different horizon.
“Euphoria” brings back the poppy edge absent from the last couple of tracks and adds an unnecessary autotune to Bonny’s vocals. While the sound fits the lyrical content, it detracts from the organic beauty of Bonny’s voice.
In reality, we all want to live in some sort of euphoria, making us unable to feel the pains of this world. Even if it is a lie we must live, we can find comfort in not facing the facts.
Moving on to “Anthem of the Broken,” Bonny makes a direct comparison between the fallen and those still yet to fall. Strangely, they both envy each other.
Those who are already broken yearn for the days before they arrived at their zero hour, yet the ones who have yet to hit their critical point tip toe towards the edge willingly. Both can learn something from each other if they’re willing to listen and communicate. In the end, pain can be saved on both sides.
“The one you’ll hold on to” introduces some dirty synth vibes to the mix, delivering a sound solid enough to make Trent Reznor envious. Although the chorus is one of the least catchy on the album, the danceability of the track makes up for it.
Hidden within the lyrics is a story about two people giving themselves up for each other. Within the confines of a relationship, we share our bodies, minds, and souls.
As we lose parts of ourselves, we rebuild anew combining our lives with added pieces to the puzzle. Old parts may be left out, but the picture will be more complete than before.
Moving the album towards its closure, “Parasite” confronts fair-weather friends.
In any friendship we put ourselves out on a limb, reaching towards another person, hoping they will meet us at least halfway. Unfortunately, not everyone we meet has our best interests at heart.
Some people are flat-out parasites, feeding off what they need before leaving you empty. They come into your life, take what they need, and abandon you before the consequences arrive. Once you’ve begun the healing process and letting go of the past, the individual sneaks back into your life ready to suckle upon the newly healed teats like nothing ever happened.
However, as adults, we need more than milk. We need the meat of a relationship holding us accountable for our rights and wrongs.
Call out a parasite for what it is. Reflect its image back to them, diluting any pretense of who or what they are.
The final track, “Dead End,” is appropriately named. The guitars come in with a Mansonesque chug before Bonny sprints into the album’s swan song. While this song is not the worst on the album, it doesn’t give the audience that definitive feeling of closure.
I think I love how it feels when you hate me and being the villain in your little story.
Melissa Bonny’s antagonist here is a false reality. People come and go in our lives — leaving little pieces of themselves along the way. At first, we believe every aspect of them, refusing to see the tiny seeds of deception.
At some point, we finally see through the facade, but that doesn’t remove the fact that these deceptions were once our only clear reality. Now that they are revealed, everything seems to be falling apart. As the artist sings, “When reality is a lie there’s a dead end to it.”
In this situation, we may never completely know what is truth or fiction, so we are only left with unanswerable questions, aka a dead-end.
The idea behind Ad Infinitum’s Abyss is being stuck someplace between wanting to live and wanting to die. We hope to escape this chasm, although we strangely enjoy living in the pain. In other words, this is a metaphor for depression.
When we fall into the deepest pit, being saved feels just as threatening as remaining in place. Your mind begins to wonder, who am I without this darkness? Honestly, it is the most dangerous place to be.
Friends look like enemies, and hope feels fear. Death becomes comfort, and everyday life is a nightmare.
If you ever reach this place, please don’t give up. Reach out for help, especially when you no longer want to.
In its entirety, Abyss is a solid effort by a band that has perfected their craft. There are very few surprises along the way, but that doesn’t take much away from the listener’s enjoyment. There are enough hits here to add into regular rotation at the band’s next couple of tours, including “My Halo,” “Euphoria,” and “Parasite.”
If you are new to the symphonic metal scene, be sure to check out Ad Infinitum’s entire library. At times they can come off as a textbook definition of the genre, but then again, somebody has to set the bar.
What is your favorite track on “Abyss?” Let us know in the comments below.
Listen to “Abyss.”
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Charles E. Henning
Self-proclaimed entertainment guru Charles E Henning fills his free time reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. While not always up on the latest trends, he is always willing to dissect the themes of pop culture.
