Abigail Williams (band)
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Abigail Williams is an American
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band, originally from
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, but now based in
Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. European ...
. Since their formation in 2004, the group has suffered near-constant changes to their line-up. The band even disbanded in 2007 for a short time before reforming and writing their debut full-length album. Shortly after an eight-week tour in support of their debut full-length album '' In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns'' (2008), vocalist Ken Sorceron would become the only original member remaining. The group initially performed a
symphonic black metal Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of black metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. Notable symphonic black metal bands include Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and Carach Angren. History ...
style, but with the release of the band's second full-length album '' In the Absence of Light'' (2010), Abigail Williams would switch to a traditional black metal sound that was also carried out into their third full-length album titled '' Becoming'' (2012).


History

The band was formed in 2004 by guitarist Ken Bergeron, who later became the vocalist. Prior to forming Abigail Williams and taking on the name Sorceron, Bergeron was the guitarist of Victims In Ecstacy, followed by participation in various hardcore and metal acts in Arizona. Abigail Williams' first songs were six demo tracks that were streamed online with a sound described by the band as having "the groove and melody of Gothenburg style death metal, the face smashing breakdowns of the hardcore scene, topped with the bombastic and epic approach favored by the frostbitten black metal hordes". These demo songs were later packaged by a fan into a bootleg named ''Gallow Hill''. Three of these demo tracks would be re-recorded for the ''Legend'' EP, including "Melquiades (The Great Work)", which was re-titled "The Conqueror Wyrm" and "Swollen Disgust", which was released as "Like Carrion Birds". After touring extensively, including a United Kingdom tour in 2006, the band had their debut release through
Candlelight Records Candlelight Records is a British record label based in England and founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bassist Lee Barrett, though it has had a division in the United States since January 2001. Candlelight Records specialises in black metal ...
, which was the ''Legend'' EP in 2006, which mixed metalcore influences with symphonic black metal, and was described by ''
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'' as "a perfect example of an American recording with a very Nordic-influenced sound".Henderson, Alex " ''Legend'' Review, ''
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'', Macrovision Corporation
Mikkelson, Jill (2008) "Choice Cuts: Abigail Williams", ''
Terrorizer Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...
'', Issue 177, December 2008, p. 177
According to vocalist/guitarist Ken Sorceron, the EP was only released so that the band would have something to promote, explaining "a lot of the songs are, like, older songs, and they felt a bit old. At the time we were trying to make an album and we just couldn't finish it on time for some tours". After touring with
Dark Funeral Dark Funeral is a Swedish black metal band from Stockholm, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman in 1993. They emerged during the second wave of black metal. Their lyrical themes have traditionally pertained to Satanism and anti-C ...
and Enslaved, the band split up in early 2007, although Sorceron later claimed that rather than a permanent split it was a pre-meditated hiatus. Sorceron and Wilson continued playing together in another band, and eventually asked the original Abigail Williams bassist Thomas G. Plaguehammer to join them on drums. They decided to resume Abigail Williams as a band, with Plaguehammer returning to bass, Zach Gibson and Bjorn Dannov rejoining, and also Kristen Randall (
Winds of Plague Winds of Plague is an American deathcore band from Upland, California. Formed in 2002, the band is known for being one of the few deathcore bands to incorporate symphonic elements into their music. The band's name is derived from a section of ...
) joining the band. After a tour in late 2007, their drummer and keyboard player left, with Ashley Ellylon rejoining on keyboards and Samus becoming the new permanent drummer. The band went into the studio with producer James Murphy (former guitarist of
Obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...
, Testament, and
Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
) to record their debut album, '' In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns'', released in October 2008, on which the metalcore influences that the band had on their previous songs was completely abandoned. The sound of the debut album has even drawn comparisons to
Dimmu Borgir Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, ...
and
Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
.Bowar, Chad 92008
Abigail Williams – ''In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns''
(review), About.com
Much of its inspiration came from the melodic metal scene found in the
Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...
. Because bands from these countries were immersed in the mythology of their respective countries, Abigail Williams looked into American history.
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...
's ''
The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...
'' brought
Abigail Williams Abigail Williams (born c. 1681, date of death unknown) was an 11- or 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692; these accusations eve ...
, one of the original and foremost accusers in the
Salem witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...
of 1692, to their attention. The influence of European metal, particularly Scandinavian, is again evident.Laura Wiebe Taylor (2008)
Metal & Hardcore Reviews: Abigail Williams ''In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns''
, ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
, December 2008
The album took more than six months to record, and black metal drummer
Trym Torson Kai Johnny Mosaker (born 1974), known professionally as Trym Torson or just Trym, is a Norwegian drummer, formerly with Zyklon. Torson started playing in the Viking metal band Enslaved and was later invited to play in black metal band Emperor. ...
of
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
and Enslaved played drums on all tracks on the album except "Floods", "Acolytes", and "Empyrean".Ramirez, Carlos (2008)
Abigail Williams Interview: Bassist Thomas G. Plaguehammer talks about the band's music.
", IGN Music
Harris, Chris (2008)
Abigail Williams Talk Demi Lovato, Jay-Z And Fans Eating Roadkill; Plus Mastodon, Deftones, & More News That Rules, In Metal File
", VH1
Most of the songs were written by Sorceron while the band was on hiatus in 2007. The band toured Europe and the UK in summer 2008. In 2009, keyboardist Ashley Ellylon became the new keyboardist for
Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
, replacing Rosie Smith. In October 2009, Sam "Samus" Paulicelli also left to focus on other projects. Abigail Williams released the deluxe edition of ''In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns'' on January 12, 2010, which included a second disc featuring four new songs, one unreleased demo of "Floods," and the music video for "Into the Ashes". Abigail Williams released their second full-length album, called '' In the Absence of Light'', via Candlelight Records on September 28, 2010. The album shows a considerable difference from the rest of the band's discography, noting its pure
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
sound instead of symphonic black metal. The band began work on a new album in the summer of 2011, titled '' Becoming'', which was released on January 24, 2012 through Candlelight Records. It was the band's third full-length album through the label. Frontman, Sorceron handled all production aspects of the album. Before its release, the song "Ascension Sickness" leaked early on November 10, 2011 onto
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. On July 2, 2012 Abigail Williams announced that this year's US tour would be the last ever and that they are disbanding. Since this, however, they have stated that they plan on recording another studio album along with further tour dates. On August 25, 2015 Abigail Williams announced their forthcoming album titled The Accuser via their Facebook page. The Accuser features eight tracks and was released on Oct 30, 2015. On March 19, 2018, Sorceron announced his departure from the technical death metal band
The Faceless The Faceless are an American technical death metal band from the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. They released their debut album, ''Akeldama'', in November 2006, and a follow-up, '' Planetary Duality'', in November 2008. The band's third ...
on his Facebook page, and would be putting his focus on finishing the next Abigail Williams album. The same day, The Faceless drummer Bryce Butler also announced his departure, and his new role as live drummer for Abigail Williams. On November 14, 2019, Abigail Williams released their fifth studio album titled ''Walk Beyond the Dark'' featuring seven songs.


Band members

Current members * Ken "Sorceron" Bergeron – guitars, vocals (2004–present) Current live musicians * John Porada – bass (2013–2014, 2021-present) * Vance Valenzuela – guitars (2019-present) * Gabe Seeber - drums (2021-present) Previous live musicians * Ken "Emoji" Bedene – drums (2009–2011) * Jesse Beahler – drums (2013) * Micah Leonetti – bass (2015) * Kelsie Hargita – keyboards (2016) * Bryan O' Sullivan – guitars (2018–2019); bass (2012–2013) * Bryce Butler - drums (2018–2021) Former members * Connor Woods – vocals (2004–2006) * Brad Riffs – guitars (2004–2006) * Mark Kozuback – bass (2004–2006) * Bjorn "Bjornthor" Dannov – guitars (2004–2007, 2008–2009) * Ashley "Ellyllon" Jurgemeyer – keyboards (2004–2008, 2012–2013) * Kyle Dickinson – bass, backing vocals (2006) * Andy Schroeder – drums (2006) * Michael Wilson – guitars (2006–2007, 2007–2009) * Zach Gibson – drums (2006–2007, 2007, 2011–2012) * Kristen Randall – keyboards (2007) * Thomas G. Plaguehammer – bass, backing vocals (2007–2009) * Samus "66Samus" Paulicelli – drums (2008–2009) * Alana Potocnik – keyboards (2009) * Ian Jekelis – guitars (2009–2014) * Jered Eames – bass (2010) * Griffin Wotawa – bass (2011–2012) * Alan Cassidy – drums (2011–2012) * James Jungmann – bass (2012) * Jeff Wilson – guitars (2013–2018), bass (2013) * Charlie Fell – drums (2014–2015) * Will Lindsay – bass (2014–2015) * Chason Westmoreland – drums (2016) Timeline


Discography

Studio albums *'' In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns'' (2008), Candlelight *'' In the Absence of Light'' (2010), Candlelight *'' Becoming'' (2012), Candlelight *''The Accuser'' (2015), Candlelight *''Walk Beyond the Dark'' (2019), Blood Music EPs *''
Legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...
'' (2006), Candlelight *''Tour 2009 EP'' (2009), Candlelight


Videography

*"Into the Ashes" (2008) *"Nuummite" (2015)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abigail Williams American black metal musical groups Musical groups established in 2004 Musical groups disestablished in 2007 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Heavy metal musical groups from Arizona Heavy metal musical groups from Washington (state) Musical groups from Olympia, Washington Symphonic black metal musical groups Metalcore musical groups from Arizona Metalcore musical groups from Washington (state) American musical trios Musical groups from Phoenix, Arizona Candlelight Records artists