Aborted - Strychnine.213

[Bleakest Harvest]

Aborted - Strychnine.213
Century Media - CM9977901 - 24 June 2008
By Paddy Walsh



Is three albums in three years overkill? It doesn’t have to, but in Aborted’s case it just might be. Strychnine.213 follows hot on the heels of ‘07’s Slaughter and Apparatus, which itself came shortly after ‘06’s The Archaic Abattoir. The latter was a mighty fine romp into melodic death metal of the Carcass variety, and firmly ensconced Aborted at the top of their game. Ridiculously catchy riffs were underpinned by stellar leads that somehow retained a murky brutality thanks to Sven De Caluwe’s nasty growls, rasps and screams. Yet it’s ‘03’s Goremageddon that will always best represent these Danes, being something of a minor classic in its field.

On Strychnine.213, Aborted retain the core elements of their sound, but the results are nowhere near as memorable. Initial listens prove unrewarding, disappointingly yielding a dearth of truly standout moments. Aborted are noticeably trying to shift their emphasis from bludgeon to a more atmospheric, dare I say brooding attack. ‘Carrion’ does this rather well, as spoken words are bolstered by groove-laden riffs and searing lead-work. ‘A murmur in Decrepit Wits’ also utilises this approach well, as the time-honoured tradition of movie samples is reprised in a decidedly eerie bout of mid-paced riffery. The standard issue Aborted numbers fare rather less well, however, and they are evidently less memorable than their forbearers. Repeated listens yield some goodies, and the likes of ‘Ophidolatry’ is up there with some of their best, but at times Strychnine.213 comes over somewhat rushed. The great thing about Aborted has always been their propensity towards an instantly gratifying adrenaline rush, and the more nuanced approach icomes across a little out of character. A more thought out and planned attack for the future will no doubt have these fellows back in flying form, but at the moment they’re sounding a little like they’re on autopilot.


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