Review artwork for Aborted - The Haematobic EP

Rating: 8.7

Country: Belgium

Release Date: 2004

Track list:
1. Gestated Rabidity
2. Drowned (Entombed Cover)
3. Voracious Haemoglobinic
Syndrome
4. The Sanctification Of
Refornication
5. Parasitic Flesh Resection (Live)
6. The Holocaust Incarnate (Live)
7. Meticulous Invagination
(Videoclip)
8. The Saw & The Carnage Done (Videoclip)
9. Parasitic Flesh Resection
(Live Video)
10. The Holocaust Incarnate
(Live Video)
11. Eructations Of Carnal Artistry
(Live Video)

Total playing time: 22:26

Band Website: Aborted

Aborted - The Haematobic EP

Sven DeCaluwe' - Vocals
Thijs D.C. - Guitar
Dirk VanBeuren - Drums
Fred Van Massenhove - Bass
Bart Vergaert - Guitar

Boy this band sure did blow up huh! For a long time since the very early onset of the Belgium slaughtering machine's debut release I have been a devoted Aborted fan. They are one of the genre's only bands that progressed without regressing or abandoning the elements that they originally brought to the table. Each release certainly more daring and assiduous than the last. Never a band to let “only their first two albums” sound superior or a band that “lost it after the 3rd release”. Aborted always looked forward, but never forget what was behind them, nor what brought them to their current status. The monumentally popular Goremaggedon: The Saw and the Carnage Done was a great introduction for new fans and not at all a disappointment for long time lovers of whatever lineup might be backing Sven Decaluwe's excellent and certainly charming, unique vocals.

What we have now, in the form of The Haemotobic EP is Aborted's 5th (or one could say 6th if you count the Created to Kill session) release after three excellent full lengths and the bombastically aggressive Christ Denied split. Starting this gruesome (wow, what artwork!) baby off is "Gestated Rabidity" which sounds very much like the material found on Goremageddon albeit much more bass heavy, giving it a more thunderous and menacing aura as opposed to a finely sharpened scalpel carving with utter precision. Not quite organized carnage, but indeed-more “to the point” than Goremaggedon material as a whole. It actually amazes me how much more controlled Aborted has become, so much less Deranged/early Cannibal Corpse/Suffocation than the early days that it really is quite spectacular. Not like the title suggests "Gestated Rabidity" isn't really that “rabid” it's very head nod worthy and displays a very personal style groove-not a slam-death groove, more like some of the “head nod” moments Immolation creates so finely.

Up next is an Entombed cover of "Drowning" from that group's darkest and my personal favorite album Left Hand Path, a surprising cover I should add, not exactly Aborted‘s chosen style. And to be honest, I'd rather hear Lars Goran's “I live on cigarettes and vodka” styled “so raspy you'd swear he had throat cancer” vocals. Not saying I don't like Sven's vocals-he's one of death metal's best currently but, I think you might know what I'm saying. “They let me out, I shiver and cry like a child”. So awesome, I'm going to NEED to listen to Left Hand Path now…but before I do I'll wrap up this review!

The final “new” song is "Voracious Haemoglobinic Syndrome" (say THAT six times fast!). And I prefer this to "Gestated Rabidity" full of melodic harmonies, plodding, yet aggressive. The thicker production really works for this song. It's perhaps the darkest and most morbidly portent Aborted song ever written. Actually strike that, not perhaps-but certainly. It ends with a old Cannibal Corpse style stuttering riff (I'm no guitarist so don't ask me what the hell it's actually called) accompanied by a slow, twisting “solo” gradually fading out. VERY cool and VERY different from past Aborted material.

And speaking of the past, it is older Aborted material rounding out this maximum packed mini CD. First a re-recording of "The Sanctification of Fornication" (renamed to "The Sanctification of Refornication"). If you haven't heard the older stuff it's much more straight forward and “brutal” with plenty of “breakdown” moments. It's a bit weird hearing the old stuff with the new production as well!

Finally two live tracks. "Parasitic Flesh Resection" and The "Holocaust Incarnate". Three words Aborted: “too much bass”. These live tracks SHOULD have been “edited” because it's very easy to bring out the high end and bring down the low end. As it stand "Parasitic Flesh Resection" is absolutely mauled by the low-end friendly frequency, especially on head phones where it sounds like the thickest of mud digitally being ssssslowly pushed out. Also the intro for "The Holocaust Incarnate" is too long and too pointless. Excellent ideas in the live tracks, horrible execution. However the live video versions as well as the video for "Meticulous Invagination" are a welcomed bonus and the live tracks sound better on my crappy computer speakers (go figure!).

All in all, worth the money for Aborted fans. One new song that is good, one new song that is absolutely excellent (and hopefully the direction they are taking this gruesome finely oiled death-machine), a cool Entombed cover, a cool rerecorded song and some pretty slick extra material. For you non Aborted fans, I guess you either like lo-fi gore or don't like death metal at all and this release won't sway you in the least.

And now, after taking the time to fully digest this recording, from the new songs to the rerecording of "Sanctification of Fornication" and including the Entombed cover this is Aborted's only release to really have a morose and perniciously dismal nature. And with that I think I just highly recommended this! Great job again guys-I haven't been disappointed yet!!!!

March 7th, 2005