According to online dictionaries, abermals means “yet again” in old-school, poetic German—think Goethe and his brooding pal Faust (or so the internet claims). It’s also the name of Abermals, a band from Mallorca, Spain, who are signed to Engineer Records. Formed by alumni of TIDAL and veterans of Dog Day Afternoon, they’ve brought some serious indie-rock weight to their latest release, Believe.

The album opens with Start a Band, channeling the DIY ethos and urging the listener to take action against our collective depression – “Be a part of our own scene and start a band”. Tracks like Nowhere, Past, Next Move, and Vertigo reflect on the conflict between past and present, exploring mental struggles and confronting issues that feel both personal and universal. 

The themes of alienation and routine are relatable—sometimes painfully so. Believe, however, true to its title, urges us to envision an alternate route. It doesn’t settle for simply describing emotional low points but suggests that we push ourselves out of them. The record closes with Saturn, a haunting piece that lingered long after I turned off my stereo.

In an era where minimalism has been rebranded as a cheap aesthetic, sold by IKEA and Marie Kondo, this record—its production and instrumentation—proves there’s more to it. Substance over form and lyrical content. At its core, it’s punk in its purest form: be brief, be yourself, make your words count. Think “what if Raymond Carver made music” as Believe is a record that, if you’ve ever felt drawn to bands in the legendary Dischord catalogue or 90s indie rock, should fill that existential void.

Nice one, Abermals. Nice one, Engineer Records. Georgios V.

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