𝗔𝗯𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 — 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲.213 (2008)

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

15 years ago this week, this release ripped flesh from bone like a scavenger over “Carrion”!

On June 20, 2008, Aborted released their sixth full-length studio album, “Strychnine.213” via Century Media Records.

The sample used in the song "A Murmur in Decrepit Wits" is Aborted's take on a 1980s interview with Charles Manson.

AllMusic stated that Aborted "had grown into the role of key contributors to the 'brutal death metal' genre" and described the band's style as "unrestrained Grindcore savagery and meticulously crafted Death Metal technicality".

Overview:

Aborted’s fifth full-length release, entitled “Strychnine.213” does not stray too far from the previous albums. The bands combination of guttural growls, hardcore style vocals, heavy as hell Death Metal / Grindcore rhythms and melodic duel guitars merge for a very dynamic, interesting, yet odd listen.

Let’s just say that this album will keep you in suspense, because you never know what to expect from a single track, let alone the whole of the album. It’s utter schizophrenia inducing madness! But, that’s a good thing.

The fact that a band such as Aborted can lay down some of the most brutal Death Metal ever heard, while managing to throw in some of the most melodically twisted guitar riffs should be enough to make you want to slap this bloody bastard into the player and turn it up loud enough to bring the demons home. So, do yourself a favor and do just that!!! Oh, and make sure the neighbors can hear it too. — E.N. Wells

Recommended Tracks:

Ophiolatry on a Hemocite Platter

The Chyme Congeries

A Murmur In Decrepit Wits

Enterrement of An Idol

Touring:

Aborted toured alongside Suffocation, 1349 and Rotten Sound as support for Carcass during their Exhumed To Consume Tour 2008.

Critical Reception:

In his review for AllMusic, Alex Henderson stated;

“When the Scandinavian countries became dominant in the Death Metal/Black Metal field, Extreme Metal generally lost a lot of the cartoonish irony and dark humor that Grindcore favorites like Cannibal Corpse, Carcass, and Cancer were known for. Numerous Scandinavian bands that emerged in the mid- to late 1990s and 2000s brought a more serious-minded outlook to Extreme Metal; they were proud of both their chops and their lyrics (even though so many Nordic Death Metal and Black Metal vocalists love to render lyrics indecipherable).

Aborted, meanwhile, is a European band that has managed to combine Grindcore's irony with the technical prowess of Scandinavian Death Metal, and that approach continues to work well for them on “Strychnine.213”. This 2008 release is full of the type of twisted humor that Carcass and Cannibal Corpse were known for in the late '80s and early '90s, but musically, “Strychnine.213” is far from a carbon copy of early-'90s Grindcore. The playing is decidedly more technical, and tempo changes are frequent -- which is certainly quite a contrast to the late-'80s and early-'90s Grindcore bands that played at breakneck speed 100-percent of the time.

Think of it this way: “Strychnine.213” is the musical equivalent of a goofy B-movie horror/slasher flick, but a goofy B-movie horror/slasher flick that has decent production values and doesn't go out of its way to appear low-budget. This 39-minute CD was not recorded with Grindcore purists in mind; anyone who fancies himself/herself a Grindcore purist should stick to early-'90s discs such as Cannibal Corpse's “Butchered at Birth” and Carcass' “Symphonies of Sickness”. But “Strychnine.213” is a worthwhile demonstration of Aborted's ability to combine Scandinavian and non-Scandinavian influences with enjoyably brutal and darkly humorous results.

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to “Strychnine.213” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/strychnine-213/1045198670

Click this link to watch the studio sessions for “Strychnine.213“: https://youtu.be/8P6fAYRgSEU

Click this link to follow Aborted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Abortedofficial

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells