Often plagued by lineup changes, Aborted have found a way to persevere for almost 20 years at this point. The one constant being the raw and brutal vocals of Svencho, Aborted have also had some hits or misses along the way with each successive album. After the underwhelming Strychnine.213, its follow-up Global Flatline saw the band heading back in the right direction. The Necrotic Manifesto picks up where Global Flatline left off and serves as one of their strongest albums in years.
Much like Benighted, the bread and butter of Aborted is that of somehow crafting melody into a veritable bulldozer of brutality. Much of this is accomplished through some devastating grooves that are sure to put a sadistic grin on many a listeners face (and undoubtedly some black eyes in the pit). “Chronicles of Detruncation,” “Die Verzweiflun,” and “Of Dead Skin & Decay” are some real stompers, though all pales in comparison to the absurdly thick groove of the title-track. The band also uses some sly doses of melodic death metal into their formula. Listen to the very Heartwork-esque opening to “Coffin Upon Coffin” for the most blatant example of this, but traces can be heard through many of tracks, especially in the solos.
Melodies notwithstanding, Aborted keep things rolling like a panzer tank through their path of destruction. Things immediately go into high gear with opener “The Extirpation Agenda” and the thrashier numbers like “Excremental Veracity” and “The Davidian Deceit” keep things moving at a bludgeoning pace. “Cenobites,” at five and-a-half minutes, is the longest track and nicely combines the speed and groove with a more ‘grand’ approach, bringing things in for a close on a high note.
Building upon previous success, The Necrotic Manifesto is another winner for Aborted. Perhaps a more stable line-up will solidify them as the genre leaders they were meant to be. But for now, this will punish your body yet you’ll remember it tomorrow. The hallmark of a great death metal album.