Terminally Your Aborted Ghost

Rating: 8.5

Country: Italy

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
1. Valloggia 250
2. Jesus Virus
3. Brixia Chainsaw Massacre
4. Zombiexperiment
5. Family Vivisection
6. Pathologist's Instability
7. Emorragia
8. Zombies Odore Di Fame
9. Paster of Muppets
10. Serial Grinder
11. 30'' to Explode
12. La Vendetta del Fantasmia Serial Grinder
13. Infection
14. Dance of Maniac
15.. Kings of Farm

Band Website: Cadaveric Crematorium

Cadaveric Crematorium - Serial Grinder

Parla - Drums
Necrom - Bass
Will - Guitar
'Jad - Guitar
Dr. - Vocals

This is an absolute treat! Cleverly composed, deftly delivered Death/Goregrind from Italy, full of grinding surprises, ornate embellishments and uplifting foibles, all the while retaining a central groove-hub to give you plenty of head-nod relief. I find 'Serial Grinder' to be [vaguely] cut from the same artistic fabric as 'Inanimately Soundless' by their labelmates, Terminally Your Aborted Ghost. It maintains that same reassuring equilibrium 'tween semi-complex clatter and molten groove, only with a much clearer production job, which when compared with the rough Hessian of TYAG makes Cadaveric Crematorium sound like quilted Gore-silk! Like lethal sewing machines, the guitars hammer out lively, multi-hued riffs, cross-stitched into clever lil' Grind patchworks with (usually) nice 'n' neat slammin' pleats. A conscientious rhythm section performance ensures the tracks meet their full punchiness potential; the basslines galvanise the riffage to the point of total spine shudder, while the drumming jellifies very well, adding an abundance of weight to the disc, with occasionally obtrusive blast 'n' fill wizardry. The vokills are an excellent dual affair, the simplistic lyrical trade-offs vocalised through vicious glottals and goofy gutturals, each finding a good balance of quick-fire tongue-shred and merry repetition. The lyrics themselves bluntly demonstrate gore-drenched scenarios involving mutilation, zombies, war, post mortem procedures and er, anti-vivisection.

The textile is moderately spattered with pleasant, sometimes humourous diversions, such as jolly mosh-parts, fleeting jazzy excursions, swirly melodic mockery, triumphant, ale-soaked singing and skilful shifts into hectic solo-string shenanigans. As well as buffering its more ferocious elements, these embellishments enhance the overall extremity of the material with a grimy, happy-Gore-lucky spirit. To these bleedin' ears, some of the compositions possess a well-rounded, technical edge, carefully crafted within the confines of the robust exoskeleton of the recording, to minimise structure-clutter.

Their subtle diversification of honed musicianship to give a broader plate of sounds, served with responsible portion control regarding tongue-in-cheek humour is like a hybrid of Perversist and Ebolie, while the capricious splashes of Jazz recalls Bebop-Grind musicians like Virulence, used in the sparing manner of Purulent Spermcanal on their 'Have the Munchies' release. There's a little bit of a Vomit Snack vibe too, especially during the Metallica spoof, 'Paster of Muppets'. The vokills are performed with a similar approach to those of the Cripple Bastards, although the scruffy, cartoonish, caveman gutturals are slightly more reminiscent of Rotten Cunt or live recordings of Oxidised Razor, the sadistic snarls sounding akin to Lugubrious out of Haemorrhage.

The critical period 'tween band composition and listener enjoyment is often the mixdown procedure, so it was a delight to hear that the desk was smiling upon Cadaveric Crematorium throughout their recording sessions, the result being a thoughtfully gated and considerately compressed representation, with a flawless symmetry of crunch 'n' clarity. Bright cymbals and crisp widdles are rooted in the glutinous low-end riff treacle, making for a rich 'n' lively overall sound.

Ratings damage report: The slam-happy head-nod sections suffer from a stuttering, apprehensive inflection; the tightly knitted patterns suddenly become slackened, ergo the momentum is often lost. I'm unsure as to whether or not these stammering rhythmic fluctuations were intentional, (perhaps the band were attempting to add another idiosyncrasy to their sound), but it unfortunately sounds like a series of slip-ups.

Pooled encapsulation summary-synopsis: In spite of a few slubs, this is a warm and welcoming Death/Goregrind garment. As vigorous as it is genial, 'Serial Grinder' ought to retain your interest with its quaint intricacies and eccentricities, whilst ensuring your feet still remain on solid slammin' ground throughout.

June 9th, 2006