For a band that is named after Radiohead's alma mater, Abingdon Boys School display remarkably little innovation, but still, the boys are right when thinking that the world needs more of this kind of heavy alternative rock.
Their eponymous album is one part melodic rap-metal without the rap, and one part Jimmy Eat World quasi-emo, only more sentimental than angsty, thanks largely to the old-fashioned piano lines that often underscore the heavy riffs, giving them a little soundtrack vibe -- think Blade Runner of a yakuza action movie in terms of mood.
Abingdon Boys School happily avoid all the traditional genre pitfalls: they are consistently heavy, not overly sappy (well, they sometimes slip on that one), know how to keep things varied with a disco beat or a hair metal solo (neither overdone), and, most importantly, channel their rock energy into good songwriting.
There are no unnecessary stylistic detours on the record, and there isn't a single filler track, although neither are there any standout singles -- just a steady stream of convincing modern metal songs, pop-savvy enough to remind of Filter, even if not to challenge them.
Someone obviously played all these chords and riffs before, but Abingdon Boys School's take on them is still worth the attention.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | As One | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 03:44 | 8 MB | 28 MB |
| 2 | Via Dolorosa | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 05:02 | 11 MB | 37 MB |
| 3 | Innocent Sorrow | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 32 MB |
| 4 | Down to You | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 04:45 | 10 MB | 37 MB |
| 5 | Athena | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 04:51 | 11 MB | 37 MB |
| 6 | Stay Away | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| 7 | Nephilim | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 04:23 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 8 | Desire | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 40 MB |
| 9 | Dress | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 06:41 | 15 MB | 49 MB |
| 10 | Rebirth+Reverse | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 07:03 | 16 MB | 47 MB |
| 11 | Howling (Inch Up) | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 36 MB |
| 12 | Lost Rreason (feat. Micro from Home Made Kazoku) | Abingdon Boys School | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 41 MB |
| 60 mins | 137 MB | |||||
| 60 mins | 451 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abingdon Boys School | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |