For a newer band, Abigail Williams has certainly been through the wringer. Their 2006 EP Legend immediately raised cries of heresy from the music underground. The New York-based band (by way of Phoenix) not only plays European symphonic black-metal, it also has the nerve call it “melodic deathcore” or something similarly ridiculous. Moreover, they’ve already gone on hiatus and swapped out half of their members before recording their first full-length, 2008’s In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns. Still, they endure. Abigail Williams’ sound is characterized by sweep-picked guitar lines, blast beats and forlorn keyboards that weave a brooding gothic background punctuated by harsh, raspy vocals. It’s a tried-and-true formula, but the songs are fairly compelling. And much like their compatriots in Black Dahlia Murder, they acknowledge their forebears and are keen to turn Americans on to the wealth of great European bands that have been tapping this vein of music for nearly two decades. What Abigail Williams lack in originality, they make up for in emotional intensity. Goatwhore, Daath, Abysmal Dawn and S.W.A.A.T.S. kick things off at 8 p.m. at Peabody’s (2045 E. 21st St., 216.776.9999). Tickets: $10 advance, $12 day of show. — Nick DeMarino
