PSYCHOGROTESQUE

"Psychogrotesque", the latest release by Italian industrial black metal act Aborym, certainly lives up to its title. It's an altogether unpleasant experience listening to that album - fortunately, given that this is industrial black metal, this is a good thing.

The lyrical content, which is about metal suffering, is obviously unpleasant. The guitars have a really sharp sound which, to use the title of an Annihilator track, burns like a buzzaw blade, which suits the darks atmosphere of the music very well. In addition to predominantly ultra-fast, blasting black metal parts, Aborym make use of ambient keyboards and creepy sound effects, which often pop out of the blue (such as the buzz of a fly, tortured screams representing a mental patient, drills and click representing instruments used the treatment of mental patients etc.). There are also sections with programmed drumbeats, many of which are akin to those used by Prodigy in their heyday and even some sections that sound like dark house/dance. In most cases, I think this works very well, but there are some instances, where the techno-influences come off as being a bit too forced perhaps.

There is also a progressive avant-garde feel to this release, as the band not only blends black metal and techno music, but also make use of instrumentation from various different genres, such as a saxophone - and those saxophone parts work brilliantly.

Overall, one has to respect "Psychogrotesque" as a piece of art which dares to explore unpleasant emotions. I think that the techno music elements may throw off more hard core black metal fans, but I think that more open-minded fans of darker less mainstream types of techno music might appreciate this album.

It's psycho, it's grotesque and its wonderfully unpleasant.

(review originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com and progfreak.com)

Imagine that you are trapped in a dark forest late at night. There's no light and no other human beings that are there to comfort you. The only light is the bleak reflection of the moon, allowing only shadows to be visible. You are positive that somebody else is there... but you can't see them. You can only hear their faint, flesh-hungry whispers and devilish screams. That was the feeling I had the entire time I listened to Aborym's Psychogrotesque. A feeling of helplessness, fear, and misery. I'm not usually the type of person who enjoys such an album, but whenever a dark and perverted part of me overcomes my mind, this is precisely the album that I will put on. This is a high-quality, unique, and diverse work of art that is not recommended to the faint of heart.

Aborym plays a unique style of industrial black metal. On this album you will hear atmospheric synthesizers, fast blast beats, wailing saxophone solos, and creepy sound effects. The more industrial-influenced parts don't appeal to me very much, but they are done in a high-quality fashion. Still, I much prefer the symphonic black metal sections. This is a 10-part "concept-ish" album, consisting of song titles that only consist of a roman numeral. There is definitely a conceptual feeling throughout Psychogrotesque. I won't mention any particular tracks since the entire album is really one big song, but I will mention that the album's opening really sets the overall mood perfectly. The atmospheric keyboards throughout this album really add an extra dimension to Aborym's sound. Check out the fourth track to understand why.

The production is great. It is much more polished than old-school black metal purists will enjoy, but I personally think it's great. It's atmospheric, yet extremely heavy at the right times.

Psychogrotesque isn't the type of album I'll put on frequently, but I've really enjoyed listening to the latest Aborym album during the last week. If you want unique extreme metal that will send chills down your spine every time you hear it, this is a highly recommendable release. Just be warned - this is not an album for the squeamish. 4 stars are well deserved for this high quality album. It'll only be a matter of time before I check out some more Aborym releases.

"Psychogrotesque" is the 5th full-length studio album by Italian black metal act Aborym. It´s the successor to the critically acclaimed "Generator (2006)". "Psychogrotesque" was released in November 2010 through Season of Mist. The band is a three-piece on the album. Bandleader and only original member Malfeitor Fabban on vocals, bass and keyboards, new member Hell:IO:Kabbalus on guitars, synths and programming, and Norwegian drummer Bård G. Eithun (Emperor, Blood Tsunami), who also played on "Generator (2006)".

"Psychogrotesque" is a concept album where all 10 tracks seque into each other. They are titled "Psychogrotesque I-X". It´s an album featuring a disturbing dark atmosphere. A sense of paranoia and insanity hits the listener from the get go and doesn´t let go until the album is over. Stylistically "Psychogrotesque" continues the progressive black metal style of "Generator (2006)" and expands on it. Aborym always had an industrial element in their music which is also present on this release. It´s black metal featuring raspy vocals and layered with synths and chilling sound effects. Atmospheric and even occasionally ambient but not to an extent where power is sacrificed. This is indeed a both raw and powerful album yet at the same time highly sophisticated.

"Psychogrotesque" is very well produced and the sound production elevates the already strong and powerful music to an even higher level like a good production should. The musisianship is strong too and "Psychogrotesque" is in every way a high quality release and it´s recommended to those who enjoy the more adventurous side of black metal. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.