Aborted – Retrogore


aborted-retrogore-century-media-records-2016

Belgian death metal outfit, Aborted, are back in a big way with their ninth full length entitled, Retrogore (Century Media). All of the typical elements are there from previous albums like the movie samples at either beginning or endings of songs, thunderous drum work, Sven (De Caulwe) being Sven, etc. Based off of the album title and some of the samples used, it appears they wanted to stick to some old classics (one of my favorite samples coming from ‘Re-Animator’; see tack ‘Forged for Decreptude’). Being a huge horror fan, this only scores more points for me.

Outside of the samples, there were quite a few guests on Retrogore as well. The first is on the track called ‘Divine Impediment’ and features guest vocals from Cattle Decapitation‘s own Travis Ryan. The mixture of Sven’s deep growls and high-pitched screeches with what seems like only Travis can do vocally makes for one of the more memorable tracks on the album. The very next track, ‘Coven of Ignorance’ also features guest vocals from Dave Davidson of Revocation fame. Again, the contrast of the two vocal patterns tossed over some chugging and riffing is simply pleasant. Towards the end of the track, we also get a quick sample from a ‘House M.D.’ episode from Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) himself. If you simply cannot get enough guest vocalists, then you will find ‘The Mephitic Conundrum’ to be a great track as well. Jason Keyser from Origin/ex-Skinless hops on the mic for sections throughout the song. Literally, three songs in a row have guest vocalists and it may be the best stretch on the album.

As a whole, I found that I could listen to Retrogore from front to back without even thinking of pressing the skip button. There were certainly tracks I may have liked more than others, but even my least favorite track was still a solid track. Each track told its own story and stood out in its own way which helped keep the album fresh which is not the easiest to do in the death metal world nowadays. While previous releases from Aborted kind of fall into a dark void after a handful of listens, I find that this latest record will be hanging around for quite some time.

8.0/10

TIM LEDIN

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When The Circus Is In Town: Jason Keyser of Origin


 

krisiun origin north american tour

Emerging from a sea of black t-shirts, Jason Keyser of Origin finds me standing mid-way through the venue’s pre open-door line.

Oh, good it’s not a video recording,” Keyser says as we make our way around the corner to a quiet side of the street.

As we set down our gear on the sidewalk, Keyser greets wallet-chain wearing kids who recognize him.

No, but this way, you can pose in the photos and fluff-out your hair,” I remark between his handshakes with fans.

I’d rather you Photoshop me a lot,” he says as the crowd thins. “Give me a glow.”

Lindsay O'Connor of Ghost Cult with Jayson Keyser of Origin. Photo credit by William Williams

Lindsay O’Connor of Ghost Cult with Jason Keyser of Origin. Photo credit by William Williams

Although Keyser and crew are about halfway through their co-headlining slot on the Devastation Across the Nation US tour, he looks rested and already illuminated, so I skirt the suggestion.

Tony Lazaro said it best: ‘I feel like an old carnie in an old circus,’” Keyser quips, referring to a remark the Vital Remains guitarist made while Origin toured with the band in 2011. Lazaro parlayed the jest while standing at his band’s merch table as he watched young kids run amuck. “There’s a new generation of fans, and we’re still holding on,” Keyser says. “But [Origin guitarist and vocalist] Paul Ryan is the only original member, and he’s still just as young at heart as you can imagine; it’s adorable—he’s a lifer!”

Although there are newer generations of Metal fans taking to the scene, Origin remains one of the well-respected staples, lauded for their blast-beat blitzkriegs and searing technicality. And while Origin isn’t touring in support of anything necessarily “new,” the band’s last album, Omnipresent (Nuclear Blast), remains innovative and relevant.

We’re lucky we’re not big enough that we have to cater to a certain look or style,” Keyser says. “People still seem to dig it, dig what we do. It keeps it fresh. Our last album, [Omnipresent] was a little different from the last one before it, but how ever we’re feeling is how we express ourselves.”

<center><span style="color: #999999;">Origin, by Susanne A. Maathuis</span><center/>

Origin, by Susanne A. Maathuis

 

Would you ever take fans for a loop and put out a Funeral Doom album?

Yeah, maybe—why not? Omnipresent featured a straight-up circle-pit, Thrash-Metal song, as well as a Black Metal song, so maybe we’ll put out an Origin Sludge album—slow it all down by 100 percent.”

Do you give a shit about what your fans think?

If we could have sold out, we would have sold out a long time ago—I guess we are one of those bands that doesn’t “care” about what fans think, because if we did we’d be “selling out.”

I don’t think about it specifically like that, but…hmm, now that you broke it down, I’m going to have to think about it. “

Do you have plans for a follow-up to Omnipresent?

After we’re done with the tour, we’ll have a lot of time off, and we’ll start pounding out a new [album] in early spring [next year].”

origin album cover

Now a-days, you have to keep pumping out albums to stay relevant—

There are some bands, however, that take a long time to put out an album, like Meshuggah.

Meshuggah makes way more money than we do—we don’t have that luxury!

It is good to stay relevant; there’s a weird time period before the next album becomes a comeback—like, you have to put out new music before two years or after six, otherwise you’re lost in the abyss.

As far as a new album, though, I’m the last person whose input gets put in that consideration—my role comes last in that.”

Other than this tour, what do you have in the hopper you’re looking forward to?

The tour is halfway done—I’m excited about it being all the way done, actually!

Ideally, we’ll be playing South America, and we’ll be playing a festival in South Africa too—I’m basically using the band as an excuse to travel around the world—good work if you can get it!”

Keyser and I make invisible oranges, before he disappears back into the club. Doors open, and my buddy and I make our way inside. We see Keyser sitting at the Origin merch table, fashioning a quiet grin, arms folded as he observes a carnival of young fans collecting in throngs before him.

 

Origin continues to co-headline the Devastation Across the Nation tour with Krisiun, and with supporting acts Aeon, Alterbeast, Soreption, and Ingested. The band is planning to head to the studio next year, so be on the look out for more information on their forthcoming activities online here:

LINDSAY O’CONNOR


Krisiun and Origin Co-Headline North American Tour


krisiun origin north american tour

Krisiun and Origin have announced the Devastation on the Nation tour with Aeon, Alterbeast, Soreption and Ingested as support. Krisiun had previously announced that they were working on their next record with producer Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Malevolent Creation, Madball, Agnostic Front) at Mana Studios in Tampa, FL. Origin is supporting their latest release Omnipresent, which was recorded and mixed with longtime producer/engineer Robert Rebeck at Chapman Recording in Lenexa, KS, mastered at Menegroth – The Thousand Caves with Colin Marston, and features artwork once again by Colin Marks (Nevermore, Kataklysm, Exodus). The album marks the recording debut of Jason Keyser (Skinless), who has being touring with them as their vocalist since the release of Entity.

“Devastation on the Nation” tour dates feat. Krisiun & Origin with Aeon, Alterbeast, Soreption, Ingested
Sep 04: Mojoes – Joliet, IL
Sep 05: High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
Sep 06: Zoo Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB
Sep 07: Dickens – Calgary, AB
Sep 08: Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB
Sep 09: Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC
Sep 10: Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
Sep 11: The Pin! – Spokane, WA
Sep 12: Duffy’s Hangar – Salem, OR
Sep 13: Rockbar Theater – San Jose, CA
Sep 14: The Grizzly Den – Upland, CA
Sep 15: Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
Sep 16: Joe’s Grotto – Phoenix, AZ
Sep 17: LVCS – Las Vegas, NV
Sep 18: Bar Deluxe – Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 19: Roxy Theater – Denver, CO
Sep 20: Blu Phoenix Venue – Albuquerque, NM
Sep 22: Gas Monkey B&G – Dallas, TX
Sep 23: Dirty Dog Bar – Austin, TX
Sep 24: Scout Bar – Houston, TX
Sep 27: Drunk Horse Pub – Fayetteville, NC
Sep 28: Diamonds Pub – Louisville, KY
Sep 29: Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
Sep 30: Reverb – Reading, PA
Oct 01: Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY
Oct 02: Broadway Joe’s – Buffalo, NY
Oct 03: Mod Club – Toronto, ON
Oct 04: The Foundry – Lakewood, OH

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Origin – Omnipresent


origin album cover

 

Around since 1997, the north-American band Origin began their career with a demo back in 1998, but since 2000, when they released the debut Origin, they have granted us only with full-lengths every three years. With an acclaimed discography, Omnipresent is Origin’s sixth album that’s being released through the almighty Nuclear Blast Records (Agonia Records in Europe). The album also marks the recording debut of vocalist Jason Keyser (ex-Skinless).

During the first moments of this new record with the song ‘All Things Dead’, the listener may have the feeling that’s listening to a thunderous blending between death and black metal so characteristic in Behemoth’s sound, but as the album grows up all doubts are vanished and it’s clear we are before a technical death metal record.

With the ‘Manifest Desolate’ track it’s delivered a catchy syncopation passage and because of Paul Ryan’s steady and balanced wrist playing the guitar the song evolves into a war marching soundscape – something that’s not predicted and which gives the song a progressive shape.

Besides the full-bodied songs, Omnipresent also features some instrumental tracks that last a little more than sixty seconds giving us pure technical and melodic moments using the guitar’s acute notes so usual in this kind of metal genre. However, this album doesn’t live only by technique spasms, because the ‘Source Of Icon O’ song changes the palette of sounds and a grindcore universe is injected into the record.

Talking about the musician’s performance, John Longstreth deserves some credit here because he’s a team player – he knows when some crazy drumming skills are needed and when he have to play simpler in the background so the other instruments have their own spotlight. Probably helped by the production department, the drumming pedals are prominently heard when the music asks for it complementing what I mentioned earlier. Mike Flores’ bass guitar is also a piece that has its own deserved appearance in the ‘Unattainable Zero’ track where it accompanies the guitar in cool shredding.

 

And when we think that’s nothing left to show, the last track ‘The Indiscriminate’ closes the album in a mad way with heavy explosions alternating between speeding and breaking like a racing car all the way forward and down to the end of Omnipresent.

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7.5/10

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DIOGO FERREIRA