Abscess | ‘Through The Cracks Of Death’

God I love this band, and in this new cd we find them on top form. Littlemore can you ask for from fetid and stinking gruesome old school death metal than what is in here. You see, extreme blastbeats are the new black. Albums from the ultra extreme end of death have been fired at us with stunning regulaity over the last few years, but remarkably few have had any real discernable personality about them and that it what old timers like these guys want to put right. And I love it. Its slimy, dirty, smelly and rancourous and has some of the best choruses and hooks going in this lifetime, not to mention zero pretence or concept like todays bands. The first three songs just say it all - opening into a grimy mid-heavy sonic stew, “Raping the Multiverse” sounds incredibly like the first few Incantation records with its ultra underground pummelling attitude. Elsewhere “Mourners will Burn” reminds of old Dismember and Grave, while the title track has just that little bit of Cannibal Corpse about it. But the main draw will of course be to fans of Autopsy, the band that spawned this creation and whose sludge style infects everything in here. Wall to wall drum abuse from the ubiquitous Chris Reifert helps no end, and the muddy production is perfect for the stinking death metal reminiscent of “Scream Bloody Gore”. Love it love it love it. Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrghhh!

4.7 / 5 - Ciaran Tracey ::: 02/10/02