Black Metal Smelt: Abigail Williams

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BLACK METAL IS primarily a Nordic and European phenomenon, propagated by cold young men who like to wear leather, smear their faces with corpse paint and play doomy odes to their Viking-pagan heritage.

That Abigail Williams is from sun-parched Phoenix, Ariz., is but one fact that sets the group apart. The sextet also features a classically trained female keyboardist, displays a distinct attachment to cotton and denim, and the only thing on the five fellas' faces is stubble

"We like to let the music speak for itself," said Ken Sorceron, the band's vocalist and guitarist. "And we have a very American name, so that's our whole thing right there."

Abigail Williams was the accuser who helped kicked off the Salem witch trials. Sorceron and Co. would have no problem admitting their own sorcery, except that like Salem's innocent victims, they don't perform any. Despite a intensely bleak debut album with the fantastical title "In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns" (Candlelight Records), and epic songs called "The World Beyond," "The Departure" and "Empyrean: Into the Cold Wastes," Abigail Williams is of this Earth. In fact, Sorceron says a lot of black metal bands' images are just that — image.

"All that [stuff's] for show. It's tongue in cheek," he said. "I don't want to speak for them, but it's not a serious thing. ... It's fun to wear silly costumes."

The first time Abigail Williams played D.C. was in January 2007, opening for Sweden's Dark Funeral, one of the more visually extreme black metal bands. But Sorceron said the intensely Satanic group is filled with great people who have everyday interests: "Those guys were watching Disney movies on their bus."

» Jaxx, 6355 Rolling Rd., Springfield, Va.; with Rose Funeral, Burning the Masses, Conducting From the Grave and The Breathing Process, Wed., Feb. 4, 5:15 p.m., $14; 703-569-5940.

» Rot Together: Rose Funeral, "The Resting Sonata" [Express]

Story originally published Oct. 30, 2007.
Photo courtesy Earsplit PR / Candlelight Records