Words: Brendan O’Mahony
Pics: © Olga Kuzmenko Photography
With weather warnings for Storm Diana everywhere and in the knowledge that the only way in and out of our island is by boat or by plane we wait with bated breath on the news of the arrival of tonight’s bands from their UK leg of the tour for Aborted’s new album ‘Terrorvison’. With confirmation of a delayed, but ultimately successful, sailing across the water, the anticipation for a night of some of the finest exponents of brutal death metal can begin to build. Tonight’s venue is the Voodoo Lounge on Arran Quay, now rebranded as the 39/40 venue on the exterior, which is one of the mainstays for metal gigs in the capital. With four bands on the bill an early entrance is essential, coupled with the fact that I have been given the opportunity to interview Aborted’s lead singer and founding member Sven De Caluwé prior to their set which you can read at a later article right here on Myglobalmind.
First up tonight is Unfathomable Ruination from London in England. Going on for the early evening slot is never easy but these guys are doing everything to get the crowd fired up for the following bands while Sven and Ian from Aborted weave their way through the crowd showing their support. Playing some Technical Brutal Death Metal, they kick off the night with ‘Anti-Genesis’, a track from their first full-length recording, 2012’s ‘Misshapen Congenital Entropy’. The following six tracks take four from their most recent LP ‘Finitude’ while also debuting two tracks, ‘Carved Inherent Delusion’ and ‘Enraged and Unbound’, from their forthcoming as yet untitled new album due in 2019.
Following on from the openers are Ingested, also hailing from the UK. Founded in 2006 they have four LP’s to choose from for tonight’s set, the most recent of which ‘The Level Above Human’ was released in April this year on Unique Leader Records. For me, Ingested are the best support of the three tonight. Tracks such as ‘Purveyors of Truth’ and ‘Better off Dead’ from their latest record combined with ‘Skinned and Fucked’ from their first full length record ‘Surpassing the Boundaries of Human Suffering’ show just how good they are and no doubt they will be back as headliners in the future.
Cryptopsy, emanating from Montreal in Canada, are the main support for the evening. They are also yet another band tonight with a new offering in the form of ‘The Book of Suffering: Tome II’, which is a follow up to 2015’s The Book of Suffering: Tome I’. They have been regular tour mates in the past with tonight’s headliners Aborted and it’s not hard to see why. Sonically they crush everything in their path and there is no let-up in their set, delivering on the brutal sound promised by Sven De Caluwé for this tour. Their best tracks tonight both come from their new opus with ‘Sire of Sin’ and ‘Fear His Displeasure’ both proving Cryptopsy are getting better with age.
So, to the main event of Aborted in support of their latest album ‘Terrorvision’. For twenty-three years the headliners have been melding all things 80’s movie gore and horror, with the death metal/ deathcore sound. Unfortunately, they are down to a four piece for the Irish and UK shows as guitarist Mendel bij de Leij has had to sit out this leg of the tour, but even still their sound is as intense as expected with Ian Jekelis handling the solos this time around. Opening the set with new track ‘Terrorvision’ and moving on through ‘Hecatomb’ and ‘Retrogore’ before performing what they call the death metal version of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ in ‘Meticulous Invagination’ from the album ‘Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage Done’, Aborted are out to prove why they are headliners this time around after two support slots in the last two years. The second half of the show provides even more of a mix with new tracks ‘Visceral Despondency’ and ‘A Whore D’oeuvre Macabre’ sitting perfectly beside set closer ‘The Holocaust Incarnate’ from their 1999 album ‘Engineering the Dead’. Getting to watch Aborted, and especially their drummer Ken Bedene, in action leaves me in awe. Ken Bedene is, and will continue to be, one of the best in the business with precision at face melting speed.
On a side note, also I am aware of how angry old man I may be about to sound like but it needs to be said, the only issue I had tonight didn’t even come from the bands themselves, rather the incessant stage invasions during Aborted’s set by guys looking for selfies with the band while they performed or video recording their step up on stage and subsequent crowd surf. Watch the bands, get involved in a circle pit even, but leave the pictures until after the show. These guys are at their merch stands or at the bar and more than happy to chat after the gig. Getting this kind of quality Death Metal in Ireland doesn’t come around that often so enjoy the bands the way they intend you to enjoy the performance.
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