THE ABYSS - Chrome Plated Heart Beat
Review by Mike Templar
The Abyss delivering his first full vocal album after a string of synth‑driven instrumental releases. The album blends synthwave, futurepop and 80s‑inspired funk, resulting in a sleek, emotional neon dreamscape. Tight electronic percussion, layered synths, and pulsing groove define the instrumental palette. Coma opens the album with an irresistible rhythm and lyrical imagery of emotional paralysis. Tracks like Smooth with Struggling bring a swaggering downtown energy, while the title track Chrome Plated Heartbeat pulses with punchy vocal hooks and vivid imagery.
Coma
A hypnotic opener where love feels both intoxicating and suffocating.
“I’m stuck in a coma, I'm lost in your love… one breath… two steps…”
The swirling synths mirror emotional paralysis, setting the album’s tone: passion trapped in stasis.
Answer With a Yes or No
A plea for clarity in a stagnant relationship.
“I can only do this so long… You don’t answer with a yes or no.”
Its plaintive vocal delivery and restrained production make it one of the album’s rawest and most relatable cuts.
Chrome Plated Heartbeat
The neon centerpiece: fetishized energy and dizzy obsession.
“She’s got a chrome‑plated heartbeat… rewires all my circuits…”
The polished synth layers and punchy percussion embody a futuristic seduction, blending romance with machine imagery.
Slow Decay
Melancholic and introspective, this track drifts in slower tempo, its minimalism highlighting lyrical resignation. A meditation on emotional erosion framed in hauntingly sparse electronic textures.
The Bottom
Gritty and bass-heavy, it leans darker: lyrics of hitting emotional rock bottom meet a pulsing rhythm section that feels claustrophobic yet propulsive, echoing the album’s push-pull tension enveloped within a cool dance track.
Smooth With Struggling
A swaggering downtown groove with funk undercurrents. The lyrics paint nightlife escapism—cool surfaces masking inner turmoil—while the tight bassline and elastic synths keep it danceable.
Midnight Strangers
An atmospheric nocturnal interlude—haunted city streets, fleeting connections, and whispered promises that fade by sunrise. Dreamy yet lonely, it’s the album’s most cinematic moment.
Broken Loop
A metaphor for toxic cycles—addiction, repetition, and entrapment. The looping synth motif reinforces its theme of being trapped in self-perpetuating patterns.
Just Another Day in America (Album highlight)
A powerful closer, shifting from personal to societal disillusionment:
“Another shooting on the TV / Another voice drowned out in the crowd…”
It’s a bold pivot, layering stark social critique over dark, cinematic synths. Here, The Abyss widens the scope, connecting private heartbreak to national malaise—a sonic snapshot of America in 2025. It’s cathartic, unsettling, and unforgettable, leaving the album on a note that lingers long after.
Verdict:
Chrome Plated Heart Beat is a compelling synthwave narrative of addiction, longing, and neon‑lit heartbreak. Through taut lyrics and pulsing grooves, The Abyss crafts a mood that’s both retro‑romantic and futuristically detached and provides insight into the American soul in 2025. Furthermore, the album isn’t just synthwave nostalgia—it’s an emotional and cultural document. From intimate heartbreak to the systemic alienation of Just Another Day in America, The Abyss delivers a cohesive, lyrically sharp, and atmospherically rich record. For listeners craving electronic pop with both heart and commentary as well as charged electronic pop, this album offers both atmosphere and poetic bite.
The Abyss remains an underrated force in the synthwave scene, delivering outstanding work marked by exceptional musicality and powerful, emotive vocals. His knack for intricately layering percussion and drum kits gives every track an infectious groove, with beats and rhythms that hit just right.
For more The Abyss, visit https://radioabyss.bandcamp.com.
