Aborted - Vault Of Horrors
Aborted - Vault Of Horrors
Death metal is only worth it if it sounds like you actually mean it. Too many metal albums have this kind of meathead energy. Made by guys who don’t really have the capacity to understand the true meaning of the negative emotions they’re expressing. They just seem to think it’s cool.
And it can be cool. And it can be fun. But only if you commit. Only if you make it real. It’s the difference between a good horror movie and a bad one. You can’t shock if you don’t know why something is shocking, at least not without leaving the audience with a bad taste in their mouths.
Aborted sound like they mean it. They’ve mastered a style of death metal that is what I can only describe as a musical analog of the very best ‘80s splatter films. They’re truly virtuosic masters of musical horror and carnage.
It helps that they’re such talented musicians, obviously. And I’m not just talking about being good at playing their instruments. They also pay attention to the composition and the progression of their songs. For an album with such an unrelentingly pummeling tone, it’s amazing how it never gets boring.
The use of varied vocal tones (and vocalists!) is key, oscillating between vocal styles reminiscent of sludge, black, and classic death metal - with the occasional vocal filter added to ramp up the intensity even more. Then there are the layered guitars, full of vibrant riffs that burst up out of the chaos. These songs are deceptively catchy, full of little rhythmic and melodic ideas that keep things interesting.
Strongly recommended. Although I wouldn’t make it my first metal album.
Highlights: Dreadbringer • Brotherhood Of Sleep • The Golgothan
If you liked this record - maybe you’ll like:
