Aborted - Coronary Reconstruction (Listenable) By: Tom Findlay

[8/10] This reviewer remembers 2003 well in terms of metal history, and what a year it was for Aborted. After the inch perfect gorefest that was Engineering The Dead (2001), the band were everywhere and nobody had a bad word to say. However since Goremageddon... (2003) there has been a bit of a slump for the Belgian bruisers. The band are still kicking out mental live shows, and fans and onlookers alike must be wondering when they were going to up their game again, discography wise.

Covering one of the best death metal songs in memory was never going to be an easy task, and as well as Aborted pull it off, (Entombed’s) “Left Hand Path” it’s just not suited to their sound. At the end of the dayk, it makes a great novelty to add on as a bonus to a album gap-filling EP. At least it wasn't a Carcass cover like every other band in this niche!

Following in the (left hand) path of the Swedish masters, the title track is a death metal onslaught broken up in the middle by slow, droning riffs with a sinister leads and soloing over the build-up to speed again. The sample at the end of “A Tepid Whiff” sounds like something Fuck...I'm Dead or Torsofuck would use, but surprisingly enough it was lifted from 90's buddy comedy Dumb and Dumber.

With signs Aborted might have been succumbing to the allure of the 'core & breakdown quick buck, this EP has shown a maturity in rising above this, yet still keeping it fresh. “Grime” is concise and focused with an awesome solo jam and groovy riffage section at the end. If this sound and sudden songwriting spark continues, yours truly predicts a glorious comeback album in the pipeline.

“Coronary Reconstruction” is a reminder of the pulse pounding gory death metal of younger days. Lingering in the past is all well and good, but no band is just going to hang up their tools just because there are older albums they cannot outdo. Aborted fans will be happy no doubt, this EP epitomises their Carcass worship filtered through their unique vision – which is what everyone fell in love with to begin with. It beckons the listener to prepare for brutal things ahead. Scalpels and scrubs at the ready!

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