ABIGAIL WILLIAMS UPDATE: GOOD NEWS (“BECOMING” IS NOW STREAMING IN FULL) AND NOT SO GOOD NEWS (DARK FUNERAL TOUR WILL BE CANCELED)

We’ve got good news and not so good news on the Abigail Williams front. The good news is that the band’s forthcoming album, Becoming, is now streaming in full at Hails & Horns, accompanied by an interview with AW’s Ken Sorceron. We got a very early listen to this album back in November, and published what (as far as we know) is the first review of Becoming, written by NCS scribe Andy Synn. (here).

In a nutshell, this is an unusually compelling album, one that should vault this band into the upper echelons of American black metal, one we expect will be on many people’s Best of 2012 lists when this new year draws to a close. We’re not the only people who feel that way — Becoming is already racking up a slew of advance rave reviews. But you don’t have to take anyone else’s word for it any more. GO HERE to listen to the entire album while the stream lasts. Becoming will be released by Candlelight Records on January 24, and pre-orders are being accepted at this location, as well as on iTunes.

Now for the not-so-good news: Although no official statement has yet been released, word is already out that Dark Funeral is canceling its headlining North American tour, which was scheduled to begin on January 29 in Springfield, Virginia. Plans for the tour were already impacted by Belphegor’s exit from the line-up due to frontman Helmuth Lehner’s surgery last fall, which caused the band to cancel all performances through this May. Now, it appears the tour will be shelved altogether.

However, we’ve learned that Abigail Williams — who were to be part of that tour along with Inquisition and Gigan — are doing their best to schedule replacement dates. They need help from interested venues and local bands. More about that after the jump.

The Dark Funeral tour was to run through the month of February, with Abigail Williams joining Deicide, Jungle Rot, and Lecherous Nocturne for another tour scheduled to begin immediately afterward on March 1. With the cancellation of the Dark Funeral tour, Abigail Williams is now looking to schedule headline dates between January 29 and March 1. So far, they’ve lined up shows for Worcester, Mass., and Trenton, NJ. Local bands with a serious interest and the ability to help organize shows — and of course, interested venues — can contact Abigail Williams via this e-mail address:

ksorceron@gmail.com

Selfishly, I hope this DIY tour will come to pass. I saw AW in Seattle last November on the Mayhem tour, playing songs from Becoming, and it was amazingly good. If you can help make this happen, or know someone who can, please step up.