American black metal act ABIGAIL WILLIAMS returns with its sixth full-length album: "A Void Within Existence,” released July 18th via Agonia Records. The follow-up to "Walk Beyond the Dark,” this new chapter pushes the band's sound to even greater extremes - bleaker, heavier, more atmospheric than ever.  Produced by Ken Sorceron, mixed by Dave Otero, with drums by Mike Heller and cover art by Eliran Kantor, “this is a journey into disintegration. Where the self ends, the void begins," Sorceron comments.

The album has seven songs, and “Life, Disconnected” is first. The opening tones are weighted and dreadful. I feel like I stepped into a nightmare that is full of harrowing creatures and a lot of blood. The room suddenly went dark and there is no escape. The harsh vocals nicely compliment the frightening landscape you have uncovered. “Void Within” has a faster and more vital pace, and the rolling machine gun drums set a scorching sound. There are a lot of intricacies build into the music as well, and even for a seasoned listener, they are hard to unravel. With reach step up of the riff, your blood pressure raises, and you can feel your heart beating rapider.

“Nonexistence” is as bleak as the title sounds. The depression rises to outright anger a few times, and there is no warning…they just turn the corner, and light the fire. The bluesy guitar solo is a bit of a surprise, but it fits well with the theme. “Still Nights” has a deeper and more aggressive sound. If there was but a little light in some of the other tracks, they are completely blotted out here, and Heller’s drum kit work is exceptional. It’s such a fast ride over the earth, and it scorches the ground black behind it. “Talk to your Sleep” has a hypnotizing sound mixed into the cold, sterile aggression. Thick bass notes hold down the bottom end, and they rattle in your ribcage, while lead breaks provide just a snippet of melody. There is also a good deal of atmosphere, and ambient moments.

“Embrace the Chasm” is another, very dark, offering. The really odd thing however is that buried within the madness and void is something charming. But to reach it, you have to get around the vocals, which cut like a surgeon’s blade. “No Less than Death” is a dramatic way of expressing that death is the minimum outcome in a situation—or that nothing short of death would be considered sufficient, serious, or consequential. Somber tones and clean vocals lead off the song. The vocal harmonies are sweet in their despair, and the harsh vocals roar with a vengeance. As the song builds, you have a heightened sense of awareness, and the ending sounds like the collapse of a star.

Black metal has always lived in extremes—fury unleashed through blast beats, scorched earth tremolo picking, and vocals that sound like they were torn from the void. But, the finest albums in the genre do more than burn; they carve. This latest release is no exception. It’s a study in strength through precision, aggression shaped by intent, and rage that carries a refined edge. This record stands out by finding a balance within the chaos. It’s aggressive without being mindless, intricate without being pretentious, and melodic without ever compromising its bleak core. This is black metal with teeth—but also with a mind. A storm, but one that knows exactly where it’s going.