Goremageddon - Aborted

Advantages: Refines and incorporates further melodic elements into their sound.
Disadvantages: Owes a significant debt to Carcass' 'Heartwork.'

...The newest album from Aborted continues in the same vein as its predecessor, moving towards a pleasing fusion of melodic death metal and the brutal goregrind of their earlier albums. The resulting concoction reaches its zenith here, heavy enough to satisfy long-time fans and without the frightening brain-hammering that would put off queasier newcomers. This Belgian band's transition from gore-obsessed noise to something more musically accomplished and traditional follows directly in the bloodied footsteps of the disbanded Liverpool band Carcass over ten years earlier, and the inspiration is fully acknowledged through a guest performance by Carcass' Jeff Walker on two songs, allowing Aborted complete freedom to rip his band's sound off almost completely. 'Slaughter and Apparatus: A Methodical Overture' is more than a simple 'Heartwork... Read review

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Advantages: Mindblowing psychedelic freakout
Disadvantages: Not for the causal listener

...The Butthole surfers were never the straightest of bands, from their controversial name to their outlandish stage antics and their freaked out music. Previous albums Rembrandt Pussyhorse and Psychic, Powerless ... another man's sac had shown that the Buttholes were miles away from their contemporaries. Locust Abortion Technician we proving once and for all that the Buttholes were living in another world completely. From the introduction to their cover of Black Sabbath's Sweat leaf (sampled to my success on Orbital's Satan), you know that the Buttholes are about to take the listener on a journey through the acid confused minds of a group of Texan madmen. Sweat Leaf is actually the most normal sounding tracks on Locust Abortion Technician, in that it keeps to normal musical structure, even though in typical Buttholes style Gibby Haynes... Read review

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Advantages: Like nothing you've heard before, psychedelic insanity
Disadvantages: Some will find this crude or just plain offensive

...The Butthole Surfers are probably one of the most sick and twisted bands around, or at least were until they accidentally infiltrated the mainstream circa 1996, diluting their psychedelic drug-noise in the process. Singer Gibby Haynes was born the son of a Dallas-based children's television host called "Mr. Peppermint" (can you imagine how f*cked up that must have made him?) and was, at one point, studying to be an accountant (see what I mean?!). On stage, the band liked to make their show as grotesque as possible; when they weren't setting things on fire, they liked to show video footage of penis removal, or piss into plastic baseball bats (dubbed "piss wands") and anoint the front row of the audience with it. Wholesome, family-orientated fun, I think you'll agree. Locust Abortion Technician is widely regarded as their greatest... Read review

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