ALBUM REVIEW: ManiaCult – Aborted

ABORTED were never likely to tone things down for their new album. They have cemented their place in history as purveyors of some of the best tech death known to man, by now infamous for their blend of blast beat driven derangement and emphatic flair. Say what you will about them, they have never been ones to do things by halves, and the approach they have taken to their latest album, ManiaCult, backs this up with aplomb. It’s a bruising concoction that rattles and shocks, showcasing some of the heaviest music that 2021 has (and will have) to offer.

For all its inevitable brutality, the record actually begins with tame foundations. Verdef is an introductory track that starts with a steady, atmospheric pace before demonic vocals begin to filter in, and there are clear hints about what may be lying in wait. Like a shackled animal bursting at its chains, the tension starts to build and eventually we reach breaking point as the title track ManiaCult shifts up a gear. Immediately we are in the thick of the action, lost in a cinematic universe laden with horror and grotesque soundtrack.

ABORTED‘s decades-honed sound has seen them lodged firmly in the modern tech death pigeon hole, but it’s clear from the offset that this album is faster than some of their recent work, upping the ante from records such as TerrorVision and adding grindcore-esque traits to an already bustling approach. As Impetus Odi continues to show, they have focused intently on shock factor in their plight to conjure blinding darkness. You can imagine that ‘subtlety’ could quite easily have been a banned word in the studio, as every intention seems to have been taken to push boundaries and infiltrate our ears with a heinous soundscape.

This is especially prevalent in tracks such as Grotesque and A Vulgar Quagmire, where the subject matter turns to human excrement (something of an ABORTED trademark) and the levels of uneasiness increase. Although the lyricism might not be to everyone’s taste, on a musical level the band impresses for a plethora of reasons. The aforementioned blast beats rip through most of the album like a blade, but there are many features that also feel applied with a high level of skill. It’s hard to shine through such chaos, yet ABORTED still manage to find a way to allow their instrumental prowess take centre stage.

The line-up may have changed drastically over the years, but there is no doubting that the current iteration is a capable songwriting assemblage, concocting riffs that afford each track a solid identity and a real biting edge. Solos rage through Ceremonial Ineptitude alongside drums that batter like a hellish orchestra, sitting atop the chaos and offering real dynamic. Chaos really is the best way to describe events: aside from the odd respite – most often in interludial passages such as Verbolgen – there is little escape from the bludgeoning death metal, with tracks such as Drag Me To Hell feeling particularly brutal and relentless.

In all, ABORTED have written an album in ManiaCult that reeks of ‘them’, a natural progression for a band so assured in its own philosophy that there is no time for experimentation, just the same punch to the throat that we’re so used to receiving from them. It’s the kind of record that will be loved and hated in equal measure, but no matter which side of the fence you find yourself sitting on, there is no doubting that ABORTED are going nowhere. They will continue to wear their crown with pride and a sneer.

Rating: 7/10

ManiaCult is out now via Century Media Records.

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