Abscess - "Tormented" (Necropolis)

Let's pretend for a moment that a contest honoring the most futile job in the world exists. Although the list of nominees would stretch further than a line waiting to enter a Moscow McDonalds, Melanie from Necropolis Records earns my vote. She handles radio promotions for the renowned record label, struggling to disseminate the listener-unfriendly Necropolis roster across international airwaves.

Lord knows she tries, even taking the time to list three suggested radio tracks on the press release for the new Abscess album. And she should be commended - her efforts are valiant, although delusive, considering the odds of hearing any tracks from Tormented emanating from your favorite local radio station lie somewhere in the vicinity between shit and nil.

Not that a declaration such as this comes as any great surprise to a metalhead who shares even a limited, passing knowledge of Abscess, considering the band has never so much as flirted with mainstream potential. Another non-surprise is the rich death metal tradition intact with Abscess, as evidenced in the resumes of its band members, including notable stints with influential groups such as Autopsy, Death, Hexx, and new kid on the chopping block, The Ravenous.

What is in question, however, is the present, whether or not Tormented is a good album. This is especially relevant to those whose musical tastes bear a resemblance to my own, a person who could never quite get into Abscess after the absolution of the aforementioned Autopsy, regardless of how much I wished to do so.

I am pleased to report that the answer is yes - a resounding yes, in fact. And while I cannot assert with certainty the impetus behind this creative rebirth, I do have a couple of theories. Perhaps the recent recording sessions crafting the Ravenous platter, Assembled in Blasphemy, rejuvenated the band, allowing it to channel its energies through the ghosts of its past.

Or perhaps it is the other way around, the band possessed by its return to a familiar haunt, Different Fur studios, the location from which Autopsy's Mental Funeral was set to sound and unleashed over a decade prior. The catalyst may be debatable, but the end result is not: Tormented is an album bearing more a resemblance - in sound and vibrancy - to Autopsy than previous Abscess efforts.

This is, of course, a convincing enough reason for championing the album. But to dismiss this as an effort to capitalize on past glories is inaccurate. Just plain wrong, actually. Granted, it is imbued with that characteristic primal feel, in which any temptation towards technicality is junked outright for a more visceral vibe.

Despite these similarities, Tormented sets itself apart from the remnants of its vaunted past. Primarily, it just might provide the clearest insight to date into the ethos that drives the Bay Area death metal scene - that is, insuring that the music is as "organic" as the lyrics. And the marriage here between the two perfectly illustrates how they are intrinsically linked - every lolling rumble and piercing shriek is captured through picture-perfect production that clarifies the tunes without sanitizing them.

With the release of Tormented, Abscess has finally stepped into its own, embracing its past while forging ahead. At long last, it is a band with which to be reckoned. Granted a new lease on life - or is that death? Even if you never will hear them on the radio.

Reviewed by: Shawn Wedel