Abominations (album) - Reception

Reception

Website Three Imaginary Girls commented that the production on the album was pristine and mature, with the songs "teeming with sinister chords and spine-tingly good vocals." They continued, writing that Abominations was the "perfect soundtrack for this ghoulish, All Hallows Eve season." Blake Solomon of AbsolutePunk noted that he wasn't generally a fan of horror imagery, but commented that "the tales told within Abominations can get gruesome, but the flair and range of near-undead songstress Ryann Donnelly gives me just enough courage to continue on, soiled underwear and all." Exclaim!'s Sam Sutherland mused that the album was more accessible than their first two albums, writing "it’s great to know that after two fantastic, almost wholly ignored albums Schoolyard Heroes aren’t giving up. In fact, they’re getting better".

Carrie Alison of Sentimentalist Magazine praised the album and viewed that Donnelly was destined to be the female equivalent Gerard Way, commenting "horror-punk be damned, I’ll meet these guys behind the gym anytime." Allmusic reported that the album "is full of surprisingly catchy songs, which shouldn't imply even remotely that the Schoolyard Heroes have turned pop. Quite the opposite. The angsty, horrorshow feeling of both the lyrics and the sonics are heavier than ever, belying both the appearance of the band (who look like art school geeks) and the immediate appeal of the music." Travis Hay of Seattle Post Intelligencer felt that the band had shown impressive growth from their first two albums, and critiqued that the album “is chock full of playfully gruesome, over-the-top lyrics (i.e. “You smeared my blood like a whore’s mascara”), though it won’t leave you with nightmares. Instead you’ll be left with 11 wickedly fierce songs from Seattle’s favorite fearsome foursome." Hannah Levin of Seattle Weekly wrote that the hiring of John Goodmanson was a wise decision, commenting that his production "revs up the band's inherent vitriol and pageantry while razor-tuning the goth-pop notes for broader appeal without blunting the edges." According to Levin, tracks like "Cemetery Girls" and "All the Pretty Corpses" sound like "darkly catchy future teen anthems".

Ben Borneman of Sputnikmusic gave a more mixed review of the album of the album, commenting that the individual members of "Schoolyard Heroes can call their own shots as they as they experiment with their sound and hone their chops in this yet-to-be-defined genre. Let us hope they learn to play to their strengths, as Abominations is a fun, albeit uneven listen which offers the promise of some interesting material in the future." Kosh Williams of Ultimare Guitar described that the album had parts that are both "metal and punk popping up here and there on the record", noting "but it would be too "pop" for metal lovers and too "heavy" for punks. It’s a great album only for one category of people -- those who love experiments and something interesting.”