ABSCESS — Tormented (review)

ABSCESS — Tormented album cover Album · 2000 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Tormented" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US death metal act Abscess. The album was released through Listenable Records/Deathvomit Records in May 2000. It´s the successor to "Seminal Vampires and Maggot Men" from 1996 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as bassist Frank Migliore has been replaced by Joe Allen. Abscess recorded the material for the album at Sound Temple Studios, but the master tapes got lost, and they had to record the whole album again at a new studio, which could explain the long time between the release of "Seminal Vampires and Maggot Men (1996)" and "Tormented".

Stylistically the material on "Tormented" continue down the same filthy and raw old school death metal style as the band also played on "Seminal Vampires and Maggot Men (1996)". A minimalistic (often hardcore punk influenced), organic, dark and raw type of death metal featuring horror/gore lyrical themes. Most tracks on the 13 track, 33:49 minutes long album don´t exceed the 3 minutes mark and some are shorter, so it´s very much a to the point type of release. Chris Reifert has always been one of the most vile sounding growlers on the scene, sounding like he is coughing clots of blood while singing his depraved lyrics. His madman vocal style go hand in hand with the organic, raw, and unconventionally structured tracks. The instrumental part of the music is a combination of hardcore/punk influenced death metal riffs and rhythms, morbid sounding lead guitars, and heavy doomy sections (most prevalent on the 6:42 minutes long closing track "Madhouse at the End of the World", which is one of the very few long tracks on the album).

Abscess are an organic playing unit and there is a great almost improvised feeling to the music. The band are skilled musicians but they take great care to deliver the music in a primal raw playing style. "Tormented" features a dark, raw, and brutal sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. To my ears "Tormented" is a step up in quality from "Seminal Vampires and Maggot Men (1996)" (and also a bit more similar to the sound of late original-era Autopsy), and fans of filthy and raw old school death metal should find loads to love here. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Skull Burned Wearing Hell Like A Life Vest As The Night Wept Mathcore
FRONTIERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Future Ghost - Wolves (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Future Ghost - Nemesis Game (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 3 days ago
Sunmancer - Realms of Dilemma (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 8 days ago
Sunmancer - Lower Cavalier (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 8 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed