Abyss were formed in Malaga in 1998 and they had released a demo entitled Armagedon in two different editions and a studio album, Redencion, in 2002, before coming up with Sin Angeles. When I asked to review this album there were two reasons why I did it: it would be a perfect opportunity to exercize Spanish and the artwork of the cover was really elegant, too. Sin Angeles proved to be much more than a free Spanish lesson though.
My level in Spanish must have been dramatically decreased anyway, because I didn't realize there was a particular concept in Sin Angeles until I read the booklet which contains all the lyrics of the album. In Medio Oriente the band refers to historical circumstances of our days and that are the war in Irak and religious unions of fanatics. Abyss wonder No puedo entender como hay gente que ahora muere por sus dios (I can't understand how can people die for their god nowadays). Jihad is especially mentioned in this song, too. After noticing this speculation all the other songs' themes made sense. Abyss are trying to oppose to the insanity of the wars that torture humanity. Their compositions brim over indignation and repulse for what brawls result in. What is interesting is that they don't concentrate on West's loss (keep in mind the recent terroristic attack in Madrid); they also face Muslim world with the same compassion and anxiety.
Musically, what Abyss play is progressive power metal. It is evident that they are also influenced by their personal preferences about music, which agrees to their statement in their official site where they claim to have many different sources of isnpiration varying from Blues Rock to Black Metal. What I spotted is a taste of East in their music. Check out the additional vocals of Ana Maria Leon in Medio Oriente and Alberto Rionda's guitar solo in Esclavo The Mis Suenos (slave of my dreams).  Technically, everybody is perfect. Guitars have remarkable volume and the synths are wisely interposed in the melodies. There are acoustic guitar breaks in the ballads giving a sense of sensitivity. The production which was done by German Villen, the band's keyboardist, is crystal clear and it helps the listener distinguish even the last detail of what he listens to. I am sure you will enjoy tracks like Sed, Dulce Mal and Esclavo De Mis Suenos, their rhythm and inner coherence.
I left Jaime Garcia's vocals last because I was impressed by him for good. It might be weird hearing a language one is not familiar with but this singer is blessed with great expresiveness. He mourns, screams and supplicates for peace in a way that couldn't be more persuasive. Jaime serves excellently the album's aim which is to touch our probably benumbed consciousness and make us condemn war in all its versions. His voice's complexion is clean-cut, his articulation flawless. He's no other than a singer of rare quality.
I liked this album anyway, but given its mission I suggest we didn't pay attention to its artistic side only. Music is life and it shouldn't be isolated from reality. Abyss are citizens of our world, a world of no angels (sin angeles) and they undoubtedly deserve the grade I am giving them.