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When it comes to delivering offal-drenched death metal that straddles both old and new-school values, no one does it better than Aborted. As with 2012’s Global Flatline, the Belgians’ eighth studio album does not concern itself with evolution or pandering to younger audiences: instead, this is a cocksure and brash display of power, precision and genre supremacy that simply aims to further enhance its creators’ reputation as masters of the form.
Aborted’s core appeal lies in their ability to do the death metal basics exceptionally well. Thus, when blasting and snarling at full pelt on Necrotic Manifesto and Your Entitlement Means Nothing, they hit a level of controlled extremity that easily outstrips 99% of their more self-consciously modern peers.
Elsewhere, when dabbling in slower tempos and a more sinister vibe – as on the crushing Coffin Upon Coffin and the gruesome slither of Die Verzweiflung – Aborted’s instinctive upholding of deathly principles adds muscle and momentum to their already ferocious forward canter. There are no surprises here, then, but this is a fearsome next step from one of the genre’s all-time greats.
