To play Old School Death Metal (or another Old School Metal genre the reader can think of) can be a problem sometimes, because the new generations ignore an important feature from the past: the need to sound like yourself, and no else. Taking Death Metal as an example and looking back to the beginning of the 90's, DISMEMBER, MORBID ANGEL, BOLT THROWER, ENTOMBED, and all of them were taking the lessons given by DEATH, POSSESSED, MASTER and others, and even being influenced by these names, they were writing their musical according to their feelings and ideas, and taking things to the next level. And the Spanish quartet ABISME shows potential on "As Fear Falls In", their first release.

The quartet sounds a bit immature on their musical work: a fusion of elements from Death Metal (heavily influence by Swedish and English Schools) with some nasty and somber elements from early Black Metal from SWOBM. They have talent and can do a better work, but for now, the band is still haunted by the clichés of the genre and for their own musical influences. Don't get the wrong idea: they're good, but could be far better than this. The sound quality isn't so bad, with everything sounding in a way that can be understood by the listeners. But the problem: this isn't a release from 1991 or 1992. They could have done better with modern technologies, because even the titans don't record in such way anymore.

But although these factors that are against their own musical work, songs as "Amoral Era" (a long song, but showing very good guitar riffs and solos, from where somber melodies arise), the somber and slow "Gateless Call" (the rhythm is slow and oppressive, but shows a good work from bass guitar and drums), the contrasts between fast parts with some slow moments shown on "What Open Eyes Brings" and "Sins" (the grunts are good, but a better set of vocals tunes' changes would fit perfectly on their work) show a talented band.

As maturing and experience take their tolls, things will improve for ABISME, but for Old School Death Metal fans, "As Fear Falls In" is a very good release.