ALBUM REVIEW: Abject Bodies – Minors

Having established themselves as a reputed force in the world of underground hardcore that wasn’t prepared for their potent fusing of sludge, MINORS demonstrated their noteworthy talent to an impeccably concise degree with only the seven tracks and eighteen minute run time of their 2017 debut album Atrophy. Spoken candidly by the Ontario quartet, the debut project is an “endless pit of despair” and just over a year later, the group are back with their sophomore effort that delves much further into this seemingly bottomless pit.

Abject Bodies is a record engulfed in pain. The latest offering from Canadian hardcore sludge pugilists MINORS draws excruciatingly from the dismal in life, that they use as influence to craft this abhorrent body of gloriously bleak music and incredibly tormented angst. From the first drawn out, forceful riff of the opening title track you’re warily welcomed down into this dark and disconsolate void filled solely with the dingy and volatile dregs of a tormented soul.

The initial laboured lull of the opening, instrumental title track shadows a malicious intent that builds up purposefully towards a climax by catapulting you into the blistering Consumed, that violently grabs you as the shadows dissipate – leaving the malevolence to gloriously manifest and the true unerring darkness of this record to sprawl from your speakers. On their day, as is the case throughout Abject Bodies, MINORS are a force to be reckoned with as they can coax you into enjoying audible decay, and prove themselves capable of brutality levels to match the best of them.

At the point of Boneyard, you are thankful for the slight let up provided by the more mellow and atmospheric segment wading along with an almost arrogant like bravado as MINORS know they have you firmly as the putty in their palms and can take advantage of a moment like this, toning it back a degree on the intensity front. They hold you further in this bout of suspense well into the six and a half minute penultimate track Erode, before exploding viciously yet again; they don’t leave a listener disappointed.

The creation and persistent nature of the spooky, unnerving atmosphere MINORS revel in bringing to the table is a defining feature of this project, and lingers over each strained track. You feel exhilarated yet totally on edge and wary of the crushing nature of Abject Bodies. The fierce, inexorable pummel conjured gruesomely by MINORS stays central to the plot, acting as an anchor. The project repeatedly hits you with this impaling feeling to pierce viciously, without remorse. The record is as much an exercise in efficiency as it is a tormented body of work – there isn’t a wasted second, a misplaced strum or any eyebrow raising sections that feel out of place or devoid of purpose. The presence, or apparent lack of lyrics epitomises the project; the deathly snarls of vocalist Jesse are concise and appear sparingly – instilling a heightened captivation in the listener.

Rating: 8/10

Abject Bodies is set for release February 22nd via Holy Roar Records/Deathwish Records.

Like Minors on Facebook.