ABORT Magazine™

Album Review: Cattle Decapitation- Monolith of Inhumanity

May 15th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by MetalEditor

Album Review: Cattle Decapitation
Monolith of Inhumanity
Metal Blade Records

The upside of the minimal commercialization of extreme metal is that it allows bands to focus on the music above all else. Cattle Decapitation is a band that takes advantage of this situation and wears its heart on its sleeve with every album. From cleverly constructed lyrical content that condemns humanity for our misdeeds, to brilliantly composed songs interlaced with grindcore, death, melodic death, technical and progressive elements, the San Diego-based quartet never holds back.

C.D’s latest album, Monolith of Inhumanity, well represents its name. With the ruthless starter “The Carbon Stampede” the bar is immediately set high: lucky for us it’s only the beginning. “Dead Set on Living” kicks in next. Like many of the songs on Monolith of Inhumanity, this one features the entire gamut of vocal sounds achievable by a human being. What’s more, in true Cattle Decapitation fashion the layering makes every vocal sound gargantuan. “Forced Gender Reassignment” epitomizes this technique, juxtaposing Travis Ryan’s soaring melodic-saturated-in-evil vocals with his gurgling gutturals.

The beauty of Monolith of Inhumanity is how through all the density and emphasis on an extremely huge vocal sound, each member’s contributions shine through at all times. This is quite the feat and can be attributed to the wide array of styles included. If the band stuck to one particular formula, there wouldn’t be as much room for each instrument to be the main focus at any given time.

What sets Cattle Decapitation’s latest offering apart from other hybrid grindcore bands is the seamless binding together of such different musical inspirations. There isn’t any cutting and pasting here. The combination of influences each member brings to the table acts as a catalyst for something truly unique and arguably irreproducible by any other band.

CattleDecapitation.com

By: Alxs Ness

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Album Review: Epica – Requiem for the Indifferent

May 8th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by MetalEditor

Album Review: Epica
Requiem for the Indifferent
Nuclear Blast

Completely shattering any doubts of the ability to kick ass, Simone and co. return with the fiery vengeance of a thousand horny angels. After a rather depressing three years of waiting for a new album since the release of Design Your Universe, we have finally been blessed with another studio album from the ‘Ginger Queen.’

Requiem for the Indifferent does indeed have the feel of a musical setting for a Mass for the dead- to be more specific, a Black Mass. This atmosphere is maintained fully from the start of the album at “Karma,” through to the end with “Serenade of Self Destruction”. Of course, there are certain tracks that stand out as more powerful than others – some more sonically powerful, others more emotionally, and so on. “Storm the Sorrow” and “Requiem for the Indifferent” in particular stand out with a mix of these qualities.

The dark beauty of so-called ‘symphonic metal’ lies in neither the lush orchestral textures, nor the frequent and soaring operatic vocals, and indeed not in any single aspect of the music. Rather, it is the powerful unitary force which brings together all these elements. Some such bands might use a beautiful vocalist to initially draw in fans, such as Nightwish with Anette Olzon. Other bands seem to care little for human aesthetics, and instead utilize ludicrously over the top cover art (Cradle of Filth, anyone?). Thankfully, Epica as a whole has the good sense not to give a rat’s ass, and foremost puts out quality music.

“Deter the Tyrant,” “Avalanche,” and “Serenade of Self Destruction” are all fitting tracks to close this album. For those who perhaps are newcomers to the concept of symphonic metal, Requiem for the Indifferent is certainly an excellent introduction to this darkly lush subgenre of heavy metal. Requiem is an exquisitely crafted piece of art.

Epica

By: Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: Cancer Bats – Dead Set on Living

April 23rd, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review: Cancer Bats
Dead Set on Living
Metal Blade Records

Two-time JUNO nominated Cancer Bats are at it again after two much anticipated years. April 24th, 2012 marks the release of their latest effort ‘Dead Set on Living’: their fourth full-length release.

In search of that raw, live off the floor sound that was first evident on the last album, Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones, the boys recorded once again at Vespa Studios with producers Eric Ratz and Kenny Luong. Although not as raw as the last effort, the album has that live off the floor sound, with a bit more polish and shine.

DSOL is not as hard as their last album; however it does offer several heavy hitters. “R.A.T.S”, the album’s opener featuring guest vocalist Rob Urbinati of Sacrifice, starts the album out with pure spine-tingling ability. It is slow and methodic, boiling into an absolute frenzy. “Bricks and Mortar” another hard hitting track allows the band’s metal-sludge ability to shine while singer Liam Cormier spits out the lyrics with his menacing gritty vocals. ‘New World Alliance’, one of the best off the album, although not the fastest or the hardest, will leave you feeling like you are part of a new beginning as its anthem-like feel wraps its music around you.

In recording DSOL it is clear that the Cancer Bats musical ability is gearing up to perfection. The music is more technically sound and they are willing to experiment to achieve the music they want to make.

Dead Set on Living track listing:

1 R.A.T.S
2 Bricks and Mortar
3 Road Sick
4 Breathe Armageddon
5 Dead Set On Living
6 The Void
7Old Blood
8 Drunken Physics
9 Bastards
10 Rally the Wicked
11 New World Alliance

Dead Set on Living

By Karla “Khaos” McLeod

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Album Review: Municipal Waste -The Fatal Feast

April 17th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review: Municipal Waste
The Fatal Feast
Nuclear Blast

With all the table manners of Henry the VIII and lyrics about as highbrow as Weird Al, Municipal Waste returns to the feast with a stellar performance. The Fatal Feast is upon us, being the fifth full-length studio album from Municipal Waste. Lyrically about as goofy as Scooby Doo, nonetheless having a certain knack for the deliciously tongue-in-cheek (“Covered in Sick / The Barfer” – surely an instant classic!), the band returns with a wrathful… well, vengeance is hardly the word. Simply put, this is the type of music that ought to be playing in the background as you sit on a bar stool, turn to the person next to you, introduce yourself, and halfway through saying “Hi, I’m…” proceed to projectile vomit onto his Armani suit. (Cue prerecorded laughter.)

“Idiot Check” proves to be one of the stronger tracks on this album, along with “Authority Complex” and “12 Step Program.” While many of the more well known prowlers and growlers can accurately be described as comedic, or in some cases likened (lyrically) to horror movies and such, Municipal Waste once again takes the off-colour to an entirely new level of ludicrous. The Fatal Feast is best enjoyed with chicken and beer.

Sometimes, it’s best not to take things too seriously. Chances are, thrash metal isn’t likely to change the world, or at least not on a terribly large scale – and that’s ok! Sometimes, ass-kicking needs to be done just for the sake of kicking ass. The only thing missing from this album is a good pair of steel toed boots to add a little pain to that kick.

www.facethewaste.com

By Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: High on Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis

April 2nd, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review: High on Fire
De Vermis Mysteriis
eOne Music

Starting out in 1995 with former Sleep guitarist Matt Pike who is now joined by bassist Jeff Matz and drummer Des Kenel, this trio has put together an album that is almost indescribable. When you first listen to De Vermis Mysteriis you will experience an overwhelming amount of fast drumming that is comparative to a sudden slap to the face as it drives you head first into not just the first six minutes of track #1 “Serums of Liao” but the rest of the album.

Keeping up with the speedy drumming, Jeff and Matt also bring thick riffs and heavy drones to their guitars giving each song a familiar feel that the bong-huffing fans know and love. Major tracks such as “Madness of an Architect”, “King of Days” and title track “De vermis Mysteriis” take you deep into this albums roots musically and lyrically. There is an intense amount of power and energy that grabs hold of you from inside and doesn’t let go. I hope you like having your heart ripped out and fed back to you because that’s exactly what this entire album does. It pulls you in on a musical roller coaster that stops somewhere between thrash and doom metal.

High on Fire has pushed itself to a new level completing something that is above the rest. Taking on inspiration from authors Robert Bloch and H.P Lovecraft, Matt Pike describes De Vermis Mysteriis as a concept album. If you don’t understand by now, maybe you should grab your bong or whatever your poison is, sit down and listen. You just might understand De Vermis Mysteriis then.

http://highonfire.net/

By Taylor Ell

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Album Review: Job for a Cowboy – 
DEMONOCRACY

March 31st, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review: Job for a Cowboy

DEMONOCRACY

Metal Blade Records

Almost a decade into the world of metal, Job for a Cowboy has set some major bars and shown the world what a group of young kids from Arizona can turn into. Releasing its 4th full-length studio album Demonocracy, Job for a Cowboy has come back with what some might consider its best yet. Starting things off with the previously released EP Gloom in 2011, Job for a Cowboy added two new members- guitarist Tony Sannicandro and bassist Nick Schendzielos (Cephalic Carnage)- resulting in the emergence of new sounds, styles and songs.

Fans of JFAC circa 2005 or 2007 will agree that during that era the songs had heavier double kicks and deeper vocals giving the music that chest pounding, punch to the face feeling- an impression somewhat lacking on this album. When you first listen to Demonocracy you will notice the guitars are sped up with more sweeps and clean constructed solos. Track 2 “Nourishment Through Bloodshed’, track 6 “The Manipulation Stream” and the final track “Tarnished Gluttony”; all show different points where Al Glassman and youngster Tony Sannicandro have gone with their creativity. For some this will be a blessing while others will miss the not-so-clean guitars.

Demonocracy doesn’t bring a whole new style to Job for a Cowboy but rather a musical style that has taken 9 years to find. Continuing on from the sounds of Gloom, musically, Job for a Cowboy has also carried on with old habits lyrically. Singer Davy visited a familiar place basing the lyrics off political themes and the ever confrontational War Industry.

Job for a Cowboy is a band that will never slow down or do things with minimal effort. Demonocracy is an example of what relentless work and passion can do.

myspace.com/job for a cowboy

By Taylor Ell

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Album Review: Angel Witch – As Above, So Below

March 28th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Angel Witch
As Above, So Below
Metal Blade Records

A virtual revolving door of musicians, Angel Witch has been around in one form or another since the late 70′s. With approximately twenty eight different band members (current members: Kevin Heybourne, Will Palmer, Andrew Prestidge, and Bill Steer) between the past and present, great metal can little be expected, as one might expect it to come from bands with more steady members.

However, while Kevin Heybourne’s vocal stylings leave much to be desired, musicianship on As Above, So Below remains strong, and equally on par with that of earlier Angel Witch work. This is commendable, considering the band’s lack of stability. In particular, the soaring guitar work on “Dead Sea Scrolls” and “Into the Dark” stands out. Stranger titled tracks including “The Horla” and “Upon This Cord” are comparatively lackluster on the instrumental side of things.

Since As Above, So Below is still nearly an hour long with only eight tracks. Each individual track tends to take on an epic quality not found in shorter tunes, and this adds further opportunity for redemption; granting an excuse to listen to any given track multiple times. Indeed, “Brainwashed” comes off a bit, err, washed out upon first listen. Though truly not unlike a good whisky, given time, it opens up and invites the listener to make another visit – all the while proving itself to be a worthy track to grace (or perhaps a better word might be curse, all things considered) the listener’s ear.

This newest creation from Angel Witch is not likely to be on many top ten lists, nor is it likely to be called the best metal album of 2012, and so on. But, for all its glory and dullness alike, chances are it will still kick your ass.

myspace.com/youranangelwitch

By Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: OSI – Fire Make Thunder

March 28th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

OSI
Fire Make Thunder
Metal Blade Records

From the Matheos-brainchild OSI comes a fourth studio album, Fire Make Thunder. With an ever-revolving door of band mates, OSI co-founders Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore are fortunate enough to have the freedom to experiment with the band’s sound and keep things fresh. In theory this should work out well. In practice it doesn’t make a bit of difference. With only a few solid tracks, the filler on Fire Make Thunder becomes painfully obvious. Like a bi-polar love affair, the album swings back and forth from legitimately powerful tracks like “Enemy Prayer” to the woefully lackluster “Wind Won’t Howl.”

With only two full-time members, co-founders Jim Matheos (Fate’s Warning) and Kevin Moore (Dream Theater), it may be forgivable to release such a lackluster album, if not a little bit surprising with the caliber of musicians present here. While a roughly fifty-fifty mix of filler and stronger tracks is not necessarily unreasonable, with an album of only eight tracks in total, the filler becomes more painfully obvious. That being said, the strongest tracks include “Cold Call,” “Guards,” and “Enemy Prayer.”

It can’t be helped but to say Fire Make Thunder is still, in the long run, an album not necessary to spend more than one listen on. As strong as the aforementioned tracks are, they scarcely manage to salvage this album from the pits of metal hell. The mere thought of an electronica-metal hybrid is sheer blasphemy. Period. Listen to it, if you must. But fair warning has been given.

www.osiband.com

By Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: Overkill – The Electric Age

March 26th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Overkill
The Electric Age
Nuclear Blast

On its newest masterpiece, The Electric Age, Overkill once again shines with elements of… who the hell am I kidding? This is straight up rock and roll, as it should be. Call it thrash metal, hard rock, or whatever you damn well please. The fact is, The Electric Age was meant to kick ass, and kicking ass is exactly what this album does.

While not one of the most widely known bands (depending of course, on who you ask) of the thrash genre, Overkill nonetheless have rightly earned the title of Metal Gods. With origins in the murky underworld of punk (having started off playing covers from bands such as the Ramones, though also “heavier” bands such as Mötorhead and Judas Priest), the band remains true to its roots on The Electric Age. While many would pine for their favorite bands to evolve and remain fresh, the twisted appeal of Overkill is without a doubt the confidence in the band to pump out great metal without having to make drastic alterations (i.e, Metallica’s Master of Puppets to The Black Album).

There are definitely various elements from other rock and metal genres in this album – “Electric Rattlesnake” has a similar feel to works from Mötorhead, and dare it be said, Sweet (think “Ballroom Blitz,” only with balls). All the same, the world of thrash would be a fitting home for Overkill. “Wish You Were Dead” is another blistering track from the first half of The Electric Age. Tracks that add a suitable punch to the second portion of the album include “Drop the Hammer Down” and “Good Night.”

www.wreckingcrew.com

By Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: Kiros – Lay Your Weapons Down

March 20th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Kiros
Lay Your Weapons Down
Ain’t No Grave Records/ Century Media

With a sound vaguely reminiscent of Hinder, Kiros returns with a hard rocking vengeance. Ripping a new hole in the sky with “Broken State,” Lay Your Weapons Down starts strong, and remains so throughout the entire album. As no original band members remain, this album can’t be fairly compared to past releases – though with such strong musicianship, such a comparison is hardly necessary in the first place.

Though less extreme than other Century Media artists, Kiros rocks no less hard. While Barry Mackichan’s vocals may somewhat lack an edge, Ryan Guerra and Jonathan Lujan allow no rest for the wicked with their tight guitar work. Tyler Wells, sitting in on drums, does an excellent job of keeping everyone in check.

“Unshaken” and “Good Intentions, Bad Directions” sharpen the edge created by “Broken State.” Nicely balancing things out include the slower-paced “Found Me” and “Something Beautiful.” The inclusion of these ballads is certainly no disappointment – it enables a strong appreciation of the more up-tempo tracks on the album. However, it would have been nice to see “Desperation Calls” close out the album instead.

If I dare say it, any track from Lay Your Weapons Down is as worthy of being on a metal favorites playlist as would be tracks from Arch Enemy or Napalm Death. This album may not be heavy enough to appease certain metal or rock fans, but is nonetheless worth picking up.

kiros.com/

By Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: Meshuggah – Koloss

March 18th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Meshuggah
Koloss
Nuclear Blast

Every Meshuggah release has generally seemed so complex on early listens that they have required a good degree of bedding-in time in order for everything to fully fall into place. On those early listens, though, you always knew that perseverance would lead to something very special. On Koloss the initial reaction is one of shock; a fear that the kings of off-meter ingenuity have gotten lazy and retired on the back of a bland album of musical mediocrity. It seems so simple – so immediately palatable – that it’s nothing short of an utter disappointment.

So, where do repeated listens lead? Well, Koloss is a reverse-engineered Meshuggah of sorts where, rather than the listener being required to decipher a myriad of unconventional arrangements in order to become wholly intimate with the material, the songs now sound so simple and accessible that they’re familiar from the offset, only to let their technical non-conformity unravel with each listen. This is Meshuggah at its most organic and fluid since DEI and Chaosphere and seems more the product of an out-of-body jam session where the songs have oozed from a collective higher-subconscious rather than taken shape through a multitude of lengthy songwriting sessions. In short, to take on the Koloss listening experience is to embark on a journey to sonic heaven.

The variation within Koloss is something of a wonder; from the chugging opener “I Am Colossus” (the closest thing to typical Meshuggah to be found on the album) and the uneasy sluggishness of “Behind The Sun” to the driving ‘shuggah-thrash’ of “The Demon’s Name Is Surveillance” and “The Hurt That Finds You First” (the band’s heaviest, fastest and most complex album composition to-date) the Swedes have left no musical anomaly to chance, adding a sprinkling of ethereal undertones throughout to convey a general eeriness on the album. With each spin it gets better and better – darker, heavier, more intricate, more beautiful, more brutal, more… perfect.

Just when you thought it was safe to put on a set of headphones and have a casual listen to the Umeå mind-mangler it sneaks up on you and leaves your head a blubbering mess as you wonder just how the hell it did it. It is clear now that the five members of Meshuggah no longer work as a unit. Instead, they have become one. There is a difference and that difference is Koloss(al).

Album out March 23rd 2012 (Europe) March 26th 2012 (North America)

M E S H U G G A H

By John Norby

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Album Review: Modulok – You Look So Tragic

March 12th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review – Modulok
You Look so Tragic
TAKABA

Leaner, cleaner and meaner, on his latest and greatest album yet, Modulok unleashes the fury and goes in hard on everyone from Drake, to King Of The Dot, to skinny jean hipster rappers who don’t and can’t represent the culture of the streets. With a pared down flow both smoother and more venomous than his earlier work with underground legends Red Ants, “You Look So Tragic” finds Modulok expanding the boundaries of Hip Hop songwriting into the existential mini-dramas of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Assisted by everyone from fellow Torontonian D-Sisive, to Bad Brains frontman HR, this thick slab of seamless storytelling is sure to garner fans from outside the crowd of traditional Hip Hop heads.

Lead single “Just Not Cool Anymore” merges foot-stomping Bosnian Sevdah music with Mo’s surly reflections on the difference between now and then, and the shared plight of aged punk rockers and burned out heads of all descriptions. The lead off video finds the dour faced rapper striding through NYC like a rhino, abusing fellow citizens with impunity, with a surprise ending of Monty Python proportions. A constant thread of jaded, world-weary nostalgia weaves together thirteen tracks that range from dusty jazz samples to scorching electro, while his wistful humour and skewed observations paint a picture of absurdity and pathos like a rap Dostoyevsky. Never one to get bogged down by life’s depravity, Modulok always keeps his head together and his eyes level, detached enough to merely observe…and fired up enough to let off warning shots in all directions, dropping acidic bars on every poser in the scene and none of them subliminal. “Golden Rule” bumps an old school reggae beat with a little help from HR, a subtle nod of the head to Modulok’s Guyanese roots. “Native Legends” features veteran 2Mex spitting his distinctively hypnotic flow over spaced out drums accompanied by Modulok’s paranoid alien mind scape. “Vicious Circle” takes the posse cut to a level not seen since ’96, with international flavour from the UK to Japan. “Old Records Hard Liquor” ends the album on a reflectively melancholy note.

Modulok has seriously honed his craft on this one, producing a cohesive album of diverse tracks worth playing over and over, and a worthy addition to the canon of classics that he obviously likes to drink to. Far enough from the gloss of club life and yet much closer to the dirty streets and bars that are the real heart and soul of Hip Hop, “You Look So Tragic” is a welcome antidote to everything Modulok stands opposed to, from Drake to KOTD, in its grit, honesty, and connection to Hip Hop roots.

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

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Album Review: mikedecline – Calmmunicate

March 9th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review – mikedecline
Calmmunicate
Unsigned

Local Vancouver by way of Calgary producer mikedecline’s latest thirteen track is a fine piece of beat-making, bumping from the outset with lush strings, crisp drums, and the ever creative scratching of DJ K-Rec on opening track “People Words”. With a clear love for compressed soul samples and tight bass/snare loops, “Calmmunicate” is reminiscent of classic Prince Paul work like “Itstrumental” as a neck-snapping slab of True School instrumental dopeness, perfect for zoned out spliff sessions or deep conversations.

“Beat Smoke” features K-Rec doing the talking with his hands over a blazed out jazz loop while Ashleigh Eymann’s sweet and haunting voice floats through the air like smoke in an opium den. “Backpacks” takes it into the realm of B-movie karate theatre meets Shaft, reminiscent of RZA’s style circa “Liquid Swords”. The brief outro rocks horns that sound straight out of Fela’s Shrine Club. Stitched together with vocal samples and scratches, decline expands on the sonic palette of “Umbrellations” and “Dissociative”, building a dense yet spacious world of floating thoughts over a steady backbeat.

With a clear tip of the hat to 90′s era East Coast styles, filtered and digested through the laid back yet often ominous vibes of the Left Coast, Calmmunicate represents for the hybrid sounds and top notch skills of Vancity’s talent. With Ashleigh Eymann steadily making a name for herself as both singer and MC, and K-Rec involved in a sizable proportion of recent Vancouver releases of note, Decline is in good company and has given a great contribution to the local catalogue with this dope LP.

Stream or purchase “Calmmunicate” at: http://music.phonographique.com/album/calmmunicate

Check out the Phonographique catalogue at: http://music.phonographique.com/

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

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Album Review: Napalm Death – Utilitarian

March 9th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Napalm Death
Utilitarian
Century Media

Most metal-heads will have at some point heard of Napalm Death, if not actually hear them. After all, it takes longer to unlock your iPhone and push play than to listen to the entirety of “You Suffer,” at roughly 1.3 seconds long. It would be reasonable enough then, to feel some apprehension about listening to a new album from Barney and crew. Utilitarian, it would seem, is anything but.

With the likes of “The Wolf I Feed” and “Blank Look About Face,” Napalm Death’s newest release hearkens back to the extended epicality of albums like Metallica’s Master of Puppets or Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast, if only for the fact that the longest song on this album is literally only about two hundred times longer than the shortest. (“Fall on Their Swords” coming in at a ‘whopping’ three minutes and fifty-five seconds, as opposed to the barely more than noticeable, entire second of “You Suffer.”)

Whereas previous Napalm Death tracks had barely been of sufficient length to sink your teeth into, Utilitarian showcases an entire seventeen songs, of which almost all are of nearly normal length. Although Mark’s vocals are certainly not as pleasing to the ear as are artists like Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) or Sammy Duet (Goatwhore), talent provided by other band members on the album clearly shines out; rare beacons on this most hellish night. The bass, guitar and drum work from Shane, Mitch and Danny respectively, meld together in a perfectly brutal sauce pot of metal. Come join the “Leper Colony” – the proud, the few.

Napalm Death

By Chris Neuberger

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Album Review: Lacuna Coil – Dark Adrenaline

March 8th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Lacuna Coil
Dark Adrenaline
Century Media

Stylistically, Dark Adrenaline is not a terribly significant departure from Shallow Life or Karmacode. The band has in the past had, as others have put it, a detached and somewhat atmospheric sound. However, with its newest album, Lacuna Coil brings a noticeably ramped up performance. The tremendously beautiful (and equally talented) Christina Scabbia brings her carefully sculpted vocal stylings together with the eerie raspiness of Andrea Ferro to create another kick-ass, yet vaguely heart-wrenching album

Dark Adrenaline is thankfully devoid of filler, although certain tracks do stand out a bit more than others. “Kill the Light” lends a distinct metal edge to the idea of lost love, without asking stupid questions such as whether or not we believe in life after love. Yes, Christina Scabbia is most definitely strong enough.

Andrea Ferro frequently gets pushed to the side, thought not for a lack of talent in his own right. Indeed, on “Upsidedown” he takes a more prominent role than in a number of other tracks. While Christina is easily the publicly accepted “face of Lacuna Coil,” the band would not suffer if Andrea were to take the lead on more tracks.

As on previous albums, the band continues to provide a lush background for the vocals. Dark Adrenaline is easy to get lost in, and has a certain knack for reopening emotional wounds. A killer cover of REM’s “Losing My Religion” keeps the momentum going in the latter portion of the album. Pray Lacuna Coil continues to produce work of a similarly high caliber.

Lacuna Coil

By Chris Neuberger

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Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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Album Review: Cannibal Corpse – Torture

March 7th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Cannibal Corpse
Torture
Metal Blade Records

For a band like Cannibal Corpse, one of the highest calibre brutal death metal bands in the world, there is a lot of pressure to deliver the best material of its career with every new release. No small feat considering the bar set early on with the now legendary Tombs of the Mutilated. Since then, much to the horror of its most vehement critics (mainly in the 1990s), Cannibal Corpse has proven that despite early and on-going accusations of exploiting violent themes to sell records, this sensationalism is only a superficial layer beneath which lies some of the best musicianship found in metal music and beyond.

With its twelfth studio release titled Torture, Cannibal Corpse unleashes yet another evolution in its long-cultivated signature style. The first track “Demented Aggression” introduces an extremely aggressive bass tone, so beastly and massive that it competes with Corpsegrinder’s guttural vocalizations. Alex Webster really stands out on this album. Take for instance “The Strangulation Chair”, (one of two tracks that feature a bass solo), which contains that brutal low end sound as well as crisp, clear higher tones that make their way to the forefront even in the midst of a complete aural onslaught.

Other highlights of Torture include an increase in melodic elements coming from the bass and the guitars: tracks such as “Sarcophagic Frenzy” and “Scourge of Iron” feature melodic guitar solos and clearly discernible melodic elements even in the most dense of parts. In regards to capturing the essence of each member’s sound and creating the best possible mix for the album, producer Erik Rutan (vocalist and guitarist for Hate Eternal) must be given his dues. He’s clearly perfected the formula after having already done a stellar job with the Kill (2006) and Evisceration Plague (2009).

Cannival Corpse

By Alxs Ness

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Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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Album Review: Aborted – Global Flatline

March 1st, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Aborted
Global Flatline
Century Media

Although Aborted presents itself as a solid band, with its most recent release Global Flatline keeping well within this standard, one can’t help but wonder if it’s not a more than partial rip-off of Cannibal Corpse. The biggest disappointment to be found in Global Flatline is an abundance of filler. A select few tracks, such as “Expurgation Euphoria” and “From a Tepid Whiff” are pleasurably demonic performances. Others, however, are far too over-the-top to be even remotely believable. (For example, “Our Father, Who Art of Feces”)

Global Flatline is the seventh studio release from Aborted. So perhaps a slump in quality might on this occasion be forgivable: undesirable, without a doubt, but forgivable. After all, it isn’t exactly fair to compare Sven’s vocals to Corpsegrinder’s God-like perfection. While not being as well conceived as some death metal albums, Mike and Eran both provide solid performances on guitar, to lend at least some amount of redemption to the overall sound of Global Flatline.

The shock factor of some bands is clearly a winning formula. Songs like Cannibal Corpse’s “Hammer Smashed Face” or Necrophagist’s “Stabwound” are, or should, be obvious classics whereas “Fecal Forgery” fails to live up to this (admittedly high) standard. Sophomore slump can not even be used here – though certainly not the worst death metal album of all-time neither is Global Flatline the best. All the same, the gentlemen from Aborted deserve a salute for not seeming to very much give a shit what the rest of us think.

goremageddon.be

By Chris Neuberger

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Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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Album Review: Desaster – The Arts of Destruction

February 19th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Desaster
The Arts of Destruction
Metal Blade Records

Reigning from Germany, Desaster comes ready to sodomize the world. With The Arts of Destruction, its seventh studio album, Desaster brings a performance that ought to qualify as classic. The title track, “The Art of Destruction” provides an excellent opportunity for rhythmic gyrations of the head – and tracks such as “The Splendour of the Idols” and “Possessed and Defiled” likewise for air guitar. Yes, this is an album perfect for pubescent newcomers to the metal scene.

There comes a point where a band reaches a tipping point – at which they either fade away, or achieve recognition as a so-called “classic.” Having been around for nearly a quarter of a century, Desaster has proven it has staying power, certainly. Then again, so have cockroaches and Cher. The difference? Not only does Desaster continue to stick around, with “The Arts of Destruction,” the band proves to have a thriving talent for producing quality metal.

Melding the obscenity of Cannibal Corpse with the evil of bands such as Venom, Desaster continues to stand fully present at Hell’s horizon, irredeemably beyond grace. And this is a very, very good thing. Any band can sing the praise of the “Dark Lord,” or speak in general of social ill, violence, and salacious perversions. However, it takes a certain talent to do so in a manner that is not cheesy or otherwise ill-conceived. It is with great pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, that I give you the Queens of Sodomy. Crank it to 11, bang your head, and keep on shredding.

Total Desaster

By Chris Neuberger

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Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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Album Review: Moka Only and Evil Ebenezer – ZZBRA: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

February 10th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

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Album Review – ZZBRA (Moka Only & Evil Ebeneezer)
ZZBRA: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Camobear

A look at hip-hop activity in and around Vancouver in recent years would lead one quite reasonably to the conclusion that Zzbra are a North-Western rap “supergroup”: a funny term that survives partly by being generously inclusive. ‘Cause who doesn’t dress for the job they want nowadays? A little confidence and imagination in the vast tickle-trunk of social media and in a couple of years the trappings of greatness can (seem to) be yours. It’s a new environment where everyone’s telescope is pointed at a different part of the sky and groups can be super on paper and cut saucers on plastic. Can’t blame anyone for having low expectations, but every time I hear an album for the first time it’s with the hope of being pleasantly surprised. And that’s where Zzbra comes in: because they actually are a supergroup.

This project sees the real prolific mofos from the community, the ones who can’t not put in work, triple tag-teaming on some rumble in the actual jungle, safari-gone-Jumanji tip that simply cannot be effed with at this point and time. When I heard that it was largely recorded in 2006-2007 I said “what?” causing my homeboy to have to repeat himself. One of the mofos in question, a certain Stuey Kubrick, cooks these beats like it’s Iron Chef and the secret ingredient is nineteen-seventies jungle flicks. Not surprisingly, calling Stuey cinematically inclined would be an understatement; the Draft Dodger has 33 completed music videos to his directorial credit in 2011 alone, to say nothing of how he chop a funky trumpet in a nice drum sau-ce.

Moka Only and Evil Ebeneezer – names you can trust. Obviously I’m a bit leery of supergroups but this is straight fun times: a motion picture double feature out among the creatures in the jungle theater coming soon as you bump your speakers. What hit me hardest was the prowess these MCs show at being Moka and Evil: mastery, not of rap in some generalized sense, but of secret recipes for individuality. Having a recognizable (ideally an unmistakable) presence on tracks is a hallmark of professional talent and a department where all of Zzbra excel. Moka Only flips some acrobatic word game with looseness that is borderline irresponsible. No safety net and deceptively lazy spit.

There are a lot of notable tracks, but this “Motion Picture Soundtrack” ultimately works best as a whole. It crosses a range of moods while keeping the listener close-by in the passenger seat of what rides like a hazy green bubble with a steering wheel. Upbeat first joint “Let’s Roll” sets the scene with “ayo Mok,” “w’shup?” “grab your coat let’s roll. Grab your smokes man we gotta get the fuck on the road…” against some fat horns, setting the stage up nice for “Green”, the album’s first single – and by no means the last. Other highlights include the heartfelt ballad “Number One” and “Call For Some Help”, a heater pleasantly reminiscent of the first Blackout! Peep this knowledge from it: “I do my La Di Da Di to provide me with an exclusive place within society”. Ohhh (finger clap thing).

Moka Only
Evil Ebenezer

By Nigel Mojica

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Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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Album Review: Goatwhore – Blood for the Master

February 9th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review: Goatwhore
Blood for the Master
Metal Blade Records

Goatwhore may be a new force to be reckoned with – with Blood for the Master, Sammy Duet and crew reign in what on previous releases had been a slightly more melodic sound to create a new, tighter level of brutality. Blood for the Master comes across as sounding somewhere between a stripped-down Cradle of Filth and an amped-up Motörhead: no pretentiousness, and proper balls-to-the-wall metal.

Though Blood for the Master contains a satisfactory amount of killer guitar work, the focus here is really on delivering a tight, in-your-face experience. There is a perfect (if not ironic) blend of brutality and coherence. Particularly strong tracks on this album include “Parasitic Scriptures of the Sacred Word,” “Death to the Architects of Heaven,” and “My Name is Frightful Among the Believers.” These three tracks deliver some of the most cohesive work from the album, with face-shredding grooves around every corner.

Another intriguing track is “Embodiment of this Bitter Chaos.” This song has an intro vaguely reminiscent of Metallica’s “The Unforgiven,” that is, if anyone from Metallica actually had chops. (Sorry, James – I only jest.) At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is a nicely cohesive album that yet provides enough variation to keep your ear glued to the stereo.

Goatwhore

By Chris Neuberger

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Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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