Album Review: Aborted - 'Termination Redux'

18 January 2016 | 11:03 am | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

You won't see death metal more polished than this.

More Aborted More Aborted

Belgian death metallers Aborted have always kept things simple in the most technical of ways. While every member to have passed through the band displays technical wizardry at their instrument of choice, the songs at their core (we are allowed to use that term people) have remained straight up, balls to the wall, brutal metal. No experimentation. Just aggressive, musical violence. This is how it has always been for the group, and their latest EP 'Termination Redux' shows the boys have no plans of mixing it up anytime soon.

The symphonic flare of the intro track at once gives way to the EP’s title track. With the introduction emitting Gojira-esque tones, one could almost assume this EP will pave the way for new influences in the band’s sound. However, as soon as the blast beats of skinsman Ken Bedene kick in, we are reminded of just why Aborted have carved such a legacy in the death metal movement. The track is a master class in heavy song writing, finding the balance between technicality, melody and groove.

'Vestal Disfigurement Upon The Sacred Chantry' may have already won the prize for most cringe-worthy song name for 2016 and the music itself doesn’t contain any surprises. However, this shouldn’t detract from standard death metal being pulled off at a near perfect degree of execution. Both Ian Jekelis and Mendel bij de Leij navigate their way through the dark songs smoothly, never overloading the tracks with excessive chops (looking at you Braindrill) while displaying moments of glamorous fret work that take the songs up a gear.'Bound In Acrimony' supports this, with its groovy, thrash riffs getting toes tapping beneath the table, juxtaposed with the flashiness of the solos found elsewhere on the record.

'The Holocaust Re-Incarnate' closes out the EP. An obvious play on words, the song is a much higher produced re-recording of 'The Holocaust Incarnate', which opened the band's 2001 album 'Engineering The Deadopener'. Despite the strange choice to include a re-recording of a song on a short five-track offering, the song reveals just the brutality of lead vocalist Sven de Caluwe. The only original remaining member of the band, Sven’s mixture of grunts, yells, screams and growls create for a surprisingly dynamic performance, beautifully complemented by the rest of the band's awareness of the importance of groove and feel. Best shown in the final breakdown and solo of 'The Holocaust Re-Incarnate', Aborted display they are a unit that feed of one another’s musical contributions, with members understanding the times to sit back and allow others to shine.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

'Termination Redux' is about as plain packaged as the genre can get. But that's not a slight as it serves as an entertaining and satisfying listen, revealing just how much energy and anger bands can hold onto after 20 years together.

An exciting EP that shows after 20 years Aborted still have fuel in the tank. These boys are not going anywhere anytime soon.

1. Liberate Me Ex Inferis

2. Termination Redux

3. Vestal Disfigurement Upon The Sacred Chantry

4. Bound In Acrimony

5. The Holocaust Re-Incarnate