There's rare occasions when bands inprove throughout the years and able to maintain a level of consistency while having the same levels of Obliterating Brutality for nigh on 25 years,this is the case with Death Metal/Grindcore Veterans Abaddon Incarnate, when you listen to The Wretched Sermon you'll find it hard to believe that their previous full length album Pessimist was released in 2014 since then there's been two line up changes with the addition of Irene Siragusa on Bass and the return of Original Drummer Olan Parkinson, who played on the bands first two albums The Last Supper and Nadir, the transition between line up changes and the long gap between albums has been seamless and the band has if anything aged like a fine wine and lost none of the trademark face melting ferocity.
Going straight for the juggular from the offset with the ferocious Rising Of The Lights once that drum intro kicks in you know your head is about to be blasted off with a barrage of riffs and blast beats designed to dissect and lacerate with razor sharp precision combine the relentless ferocity of Steve Maher's vocals you have a more then fitting opener to set the tone for what's to come, Veritas is pure Grindcore that hits like a tonne of bricks,swiftly and viciously we're hit with the anger and vitriol of Gateways, the following two tracks Epic Desecration and Parasite have plenty of ferocity layered with heavy groove laden riffs,which has been a trademark synonymous with the band since their inception all those years ago,Hideous Arise is an absolute fucking juggernaut,the part with the vocals layered over the lead is unabashed nastiness and filthiuness. Another relentless track to make our ears bleed with the 90's era Death Metal masterclass that is Killing Spree and yes( i am referencing the current music video) it does sound like someone going a mass murdering killing spree,there's a slightly melancjolic piano piece at the end of the track, straight form the get go Into The Maelstrom hits like a sledgehammer,the Guitar tone on this tone is so dark and sinister and gives the track a really eerie atmosphere, the band mix it up a little on the absolutely excellent Resurrected From A Mass Grave with some obiterating Grindcore and 90's Death Metal like a mix of Early Napalm Death mixed with riffs reminiscent of material from the bands debut The Last Supper.
Shrine Of Flesh is full of heaviness and groove with a very subtle hint to 90's era Swedish Death Metal ,the twin vocal attack has a style reminiscent to early Carcass,that squealing guitar intro at the start of Hyperchaos is absolutely face melting obliteration with really thrashy elements,wouldn't usually be mentioning the word epic when it comes to Death Metal Or Grindcore but this is the case with the ridiculously fantastic Isolation and Decay this may have been mentioned on other reviews but that intro reminds me of the classic Entombed track Through The Collandes as soon as the double bass drum flows seemlessly into an unmercifully tirade is explosive drumming and relentless riffs and as usual the vocals full of vitriol,emotion and anger for the last 2+ minutes of the track the twin guitar leads combined with haunting melody,feeling ,a brooding bass tone leave you feeling drained,isolated and a hopeless feeling of solitude,closing track Silent Indifference is a trademark Abaddon Incarnate escapade full of face melting riffs,relentless drumming and vocals full of hate and abrasiveness a truly perfect way to end such an unbelievably devastating and sublime album.
From the first time i witnessed this band playing on the back of a trailer 25+ years ago i instantly knew they were destined to be masters of their craft,but nothing prepared me for the absolute devastation they would leave in their path, even a 8 year gap between albums did nothing to deter this juggernaut.if anything they just keep getting better and unleashing top notch Death/Grind upon the world consistently, just like previous releases The Wretched Sermon leaves a path of devastation in it's wake,it gradually draws you into the grinder and spits you out like some unstoppable force of nature hellbent on destruction,unlike most bands of the same ilk Abaddon Incarnate are not afraid to mix it up a bit,instead of remaining safe they keep pushing the boundaries to new heights ,yes you will hear alot of nuances of Old School Death Metal,Grindcore etc but they always bring a freshness and innovation to the genre, there's a extremely good reason why most of the reviews coming out for this album are getting alot of high ratings for me this is going to on an awful lot of Album of The Year list and it's more then well deserved.
