Abrams Loon Review
ABRAMS
Loon
Blues Funeral Recordings
2026
“And now, time for something completely different.” You've no doubt heard that. Unless you're under 30, you know it. The iconic phrase was famously delivered by John Cleese as the announcer in the BBC sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974). It was used to transition between surreal, unconnected sketches. It's also a perfect statement when talking about Denver post-hardcore/heavy alt-rock troupe ABRAMS. Join in the fun as we examine their third full-length, Loon.
Abrams are a quartet of weirdos that feature guitarist/vocalist Zach Amster, bassist/vocalist Taylor Iversen, drummer Ryan DeWitt, and guitarist Graham Zander. Together they are a non-specific genre equivalent of Captain Planet. Their sound has elements of heavy rock, shoegaze, grunge, and hardcore. They also do it all relatively easily, crafting compositions that are at once bittersweet but familiar, pushing their own limits with forward-thinking songs. Featuring a lively and polished-with-raw-edges production, we get ten of those songs here, and they are surely diverse. Though the band do employ some hardcore AND post-hardcore tropes (“White Walls”), the vocals of Amster never fall into the shouting or screaming side of things. They're plenty aggressive where they need to be, but they remind more of Quicksand’s Walter Schiefel or John Joseph’s controlled rants in his Both Worlds project. There's plenty of snaking riffs mixed with driving bass and hard-grooving drums to spare as well. “A State of Mind” is pure modern shoegaze with its dreamy, ethereal clean vocals and fuzzed-out guitar tones. While it's a mellower track, it still maintains that '90s alt-rock heaviness that had every burgeoning guitarist searching for a Big Muff pedal. “Last Nail” is jangly and heavy and droney and features more melodic clean vocals. “Glass Houses” brings up the tempo considerably and brings us a fast-chugging rocker with dissonant guitars and minor-key harmonized vocals. I'm skipping around here, but these are but a few examples of how varied ABRAMS can be, but for my money, the standout is the slow, ballad-esque, bass-led melodic sludge of “How Did I Lose My Mind?”. Following that, we have the pulsing guitars and heartfelt vocals of “Home,” and the loud-quiet-loud dynamic of album closer “Sirens” brings it all home.
Loon isn't a long listen, as it hovers right around 35 minutes, but it's an exhilarating and genre-hopping dynamic 35 minutes. ABRAMS have delivered a record that will tickle the fancy of the '90s heavy rock/alternative/post-hardcore kid in all of us. It's endearingly throwback but with their own modern touches and individuality thrown in that make the old seem new all over again. Perhaps Loon best describes their mindset, as such a broad palate of sound is just crazy enough to work. My friends, it absolutely does work…
RIYL- Hum, Quicksand, My Bloody Valentine, Jawbox, Cave In, Failure, Torche
~TB