1 LIVE REVIEW: Belgium's legendary Aborted brutalizes Studio Seven

There must be something about Belgium that just makes people want to be brutal musicians. So many good genre-defining bands have come out of the country, (Leng Tch’e, Serial Butcher, Die) and Aborted are no exception. An excellent follow up to 2008’s Strychnine.213 and 2010’s Coronary Reconstruction, 2012’s Global Flatline has been a constant on my stereo since it came out in January. Featuring guest vocals from some of the best in the industry, it’s a serious bone crusher, and I just couldn’t wait to see them live.

Their stage show is absolutely brutal. Vocalist Sven "Svencho" de Caluwé is a like a savage animal crossed with a middle school kid with ADHD. Full of energy and never stationary, he simply refused to let the pit die down, taunting the audience and calling them “silly vaginas”. Not many frontmen can keep up such an animated live show while singing.

Guitarists Eran Segal and Mike Wilson are no slouches either. Head banging so low that they came dangerously close to knocking themselves out on the monitors on every song, while displaying a total mastery over the fretboard. Blues influenced solos over the brutal grinding riffs leave the experienced metal listener with little to complain about.

Ken Bendene’s drumming is impressive to say the least. His work with Abigail Williams is excellent, but with Aborted his skills on his instrument really get a chance to shine. Intense blast beats and intense grind grooves abound, complimenting the onslaught of guitars without overpowering them or getting in the way.

The band as whole is flawless. Extreme metal is difficult to write, a royal pain in the ass to record, and even harder to pull off live, and Aborted have obviously mastered all three. They play and act as a single unit, with the little to no egos involved, making them a truly powerful live experience.

by Ryan Schutte