Band: Abhorrence
Title: Totally Vulgar: Live at Tuska Open Air 2013
Genre: Death Metal
Year: 10th February 2017
Time: 34 min
Rating: 75/100
The history of the (extreme) metal is literally full of bands existed only for 6 months but some of them, despite their very short existence, belongs now to the legends of this music maybe after realizing one only demo. For example, this is the case of Abhorrence, a death metal band from the Land of a Thousand Lakes born in 1989 to die in 1990 after the release, during the same 1990, of the "Vulgar Necrolatry" demo and the "Abhorrence" EP, both very acclaimed into the underground scene so to become soon true collector's items but without forgetting the never officialy released "Macabre Masquerade" demo (recorded in May 1990) and the 1991 posthumous split by Seraphic Decay Records. Fortunately, the end of Abhorrence led, also thanks to their guitarist Tomi Koivusaari, to the foundation of the very known mainstream band Amorphis. Now, as you know, Abhorrence, pushed by the success of their "Completely Vulgar" compilation released by Svart Records, were reborn in 2012 with every original member (excluded the drummer). The result of the comeback of this very cult band was the reunion show in occasion of the 2013 edition of the Tuska Open Air, immortalized forever for posterity only recently by Svart Records with the live album titled "Totally Vulgar: Live at Tuska Open Air 2013".
Believe it or not, this is the very first live album I am reviewing on my Timpani allo Spiedo 'zine, and, sincerely, I couldn't ask for better than this! In fact, its mashed production is very good because every instrument is well listenable, also if the lead guitar is penalised since it is sometimes a bit buried by the other instruments. But, also if this is a live album, the noises of crowd are practically inexistent but, compensating this emptiness, there is the singer Jukka Kolehmainen with his occasional interactions with the audience (for example, presenting a track). Besides these considerations, the performance of every member is fantastic, included the one of the session drummer Rainer Tuomikanto (Ajattara), reliving faithfully (but with some light variations as in the case of the known "Vulgar Necrolatry") songs which weren't played even for 23 years. Moreover, here you'll find every old track by Abhorrence, included "Adoration of Abscessed Cadavers" but excluded the only "Macabre Masquerade".
Said this, the music of Abhorrence is a personal death metal based on dark songs supported by an excellent interaction between the two axes in order to create some fantastic atmospheric moments due to a very good use of the lead guitar (like in "Disintegration of Flesh" and "Vulgar Necrolatry"), and by a malignant alternance between blast-beats' assaults and slower tempos, presenting, at the same time, some US influences as in the riffing. All these features bring to songs like the very dynamic "Devourer of Souls" and "Vulgar Necrolatry" (characterised also by some breaks with devastating restarts) or the more doomish "Caught in a Vortex" while fantastic are the guitar solos of numbers as "Adoration of Abscessed Cadavers" and of the morbid "Pleasures of Putrid Flesh" (able to hurt seriously the ears during a solo in full blasting fury!). Finally, there is also the expressive performance by the singer Jukka Kolehmainen with his nefarious growls.
In brief, this live album promise other good things for the near future, also because Abhorrence have resumed recently their live activity with the new young drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (very hyperactive since now he is busy even with bands like Paradise Lost and Vallenfyre!), despite their previous public statements to not play other reunion shows but, fortunately, these guys have changed the ideas. So, we have to expect new ravings death metal anthems as they SHOULD be!
All photos by Timo Isoaho
Tracklist:
1 - Intro - The Cult
2 - Pestilential Mists
3 - Holy Laws of Pain
4 - Devourer of Souls
5 - Caught in a Vortex
6 - Adoration of Abscessed Cadavers
7 - Pleasures of Putrid Flesh
8 - Disintegration of Flesh
9 - Vulgar Necrolatry
Line-up:
Jukka Kolehmainen - vocals
Tomi Koivusaari - guitars
Kalle Mattsson - guitars
Jussi "Juice" Ahlroth - bass
Rainer Tuomikanto - drums
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/AbhorrenceFIN
Svart Records: http://www.svartrecords.com/
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