This is probably the last sound you would expect out of the desert.
Abigail Williams is an extreme metal band from Arizona, and proof that the best metal doesn't always come from the coldest places…
The band won't be conveniently pigeonholed into any set style. They take their influences from the best of the best from the old and the new and blend it into a unique and multifaceted hybrid. They have the groove and melody of the Gothenburg style death metal, the face smashing breakdowns of the hardcore scene topped with the bombastic and epic approach favoured by the frostbitten black metal hordes. Starting only in the summer of 2005, a home recorded demo was put together to showcase the songs Ken had written over the years and featured Ashley Jurgemeyer on piano / keys. Connor Woods laid down the vocals and before long the demo, dubbed “Gallow Hill”, was born.
These songs were distributed on the Internet via band pages set up on Myspace and Purevolume and, purely by word of mouth, resulted in an astonishing quarter of a million plays in just six months! Inspired by the response to his music, Ken put a full line up together featuring some ex-members of the Metal Blade act Vehemence and started to play local shows with a view to branching out further. Unfortunately this line-up didn't work out and soon Ken was back working solely with Ashley. Local guitarist Brad Riffs was found and a new demo song, entitled “Watchtower”, was recorded with Ken now also taking up the vocal role. Throughout the line-up changes and everything else, Candlelight records were waiting in the wings and watching developments with baited breath. Once the new stable line-up was put into place, a multi-album, worldwide deal was signed.
The band is currently in pre-production for an as-yet untitled full length. It's scheduled to be recorded in May 2006 with the legendary James Murphy at his new Florida-based production facility. Abigail Williams look forward to hitting the road with a vengeance in the later part of 2006, including a prestigious slot on one of the Emperor reunion shows and a UK tour with friends Suicide Silence.
