INTERVIEW: The Abyssmals on a Release Four Years in the Making
Live photo by Bryan Lasky
“The songwriting is sharp, and genuinely interesting, while not straying too far away from tenets of good old fashioned rock-n-roll.”
The Abyssmals has just released No Pretty Face, their first album in nearly six years, but this particular batch of songs has actually been around for a couple of years while the band waited for the correct time to release them. Don’t get me wrong, it is certainly not like the members were idle. Quite the opposite. They are all very active in various projects around the area.
I recently had a chance to talk to the band while they were in rehearsal for their No Pretty Face album release show that was held on May 16 at the Hangar on the Hudson.
When asked about the time span from when the songs were done, until they were released, lead singer/guitarist Jarpon Reyes says, “The mixing and all that got done in 2024, so basically all the audio was done. But in between when it was first recorded there was life stuff. We all have different projects, different bands going on, just like everybody else in the music scene.”
“We were still actively playing and stuff, but we all just kind of did some other things,” guitarist Bob Forget adds. “Ben and Jason did Flavour, Boris was playing bass with Front Biz. I was playing some solo shows and playing with Electric Turtle, and Joe also plays with Victory Soul Orchestra.”
“We're all staying pretty busy for the most part, but we actually have a whole bunch of songs already written for a new release that will eventually come out — hopefully sooner than this did,” Forget adds with a laugh.
No Pretty Face is worth the wait. Starting off with the lead single, “Strange Invitation,” a bold and punchy riff-laden rocker that sets a high bar for the album, No Pretty Face one-ups itself several times. As I finished out the first three songs, I couldn’t help but feel a certain comfort with them. Maybe it was just the time and place, but the songs really struck in a way I didn’t expect. It was as if I wanted to listen again, before they’d even ended.
The songwriting is sharp, and genuinely interesting, while not straying too far away from tenets of good old fashioned rock-n-roll. Then right in the middle of the album is the only ballad, aptly titled “Ballad of the Comedown Angel,” which acts as the perfect mid-way point.
As of this writing, the album is available on Bandcamp and, for physical media fans, vinyl. Their sharp blend of modern rock, mixed with a ‘60s surf sensibility, lends itself perfectly to a vinyl release. Not many bands can wear their influences that boldly on their sleeve, while putting out wholly original music, but The Abyssmals have absolutely managed to do just that with No Pretty Face. Naturally, I asked Reyes where people could get copies of the aforementioned vinyl, and he was quick to mention a few local places that are carrying it.
“We're going to drop them off to some shops like Soundhouse, Last Vestige, and The Beat Shop,” Reyes says. “We haven't looked into shipping or anything yet, but I'm sure we can work something out with that.”
With a band that is as steadily busy as The Abyssmals — not just as a whole, but each member individually — the timing of a release must be paramount to assure all members have the time to devote. After so long, was releasing No Pretty Face just a matter of schedules finally aligning, or was there a more detailed reason to release the album now?
“I think all of our lives were at a point where we had a timetable for when we wanted to get it all done,” bassist Boris Cahrenger tells me. “We all kind of had things open up to be able to be in this position to where we could get it out at this time finally.”
Now that the album is out, The Abyssmals are already looking forward to continuing to record and release music. The sooner the better, I say, but at the same time, any new music from this band is going to be worth the wait.
For more information and to pick up a copy of No Pretty Face, visit https://theabyssmals.bandcamp.com/
