One thing is certain. Depravity, Slaughter the Giant‘s 2022 piece, made waves over here. Huge tidal waves. And astonishingly so, because the band’s abrasive style certainly ain’t everybody’s cup of witches’ brew.
Now, right on time for the Top 10 season, StG launch a new red-hot ballistic missile called Abomination. Judging by the cover art, it must be some monkey business in Hell’s Cathedral. Priests hung upside down and daemon’s running rampant. Or something. Let’s grab some Holy Water, if that works at all. We’re not quite sure anymore. Be afraid, be very afraid!
Abomination is a frantic affair and it takes no prisoners. The new record continues with a vengeance where Depravity left off. The Melodic Death Metal still is their main pillar to carry most of the weight. Yet, the tech death component really got a boost. The band’s not yet quite at Stortregn levels but we’re getting there. And for that they’d need to spiff up the guitars to more insane levels. Right now the riffing takes it a tad easier still, if this describes the violent situation correctly, that is.1 Plus, the solos stayed somewhat on the scarce side. Even if the Broos / Devos tag team churned out some truly astounding moments with dual solos (Alien Abduction) and sizzling hot melodics at times (Omen of Evil). And they truly didn’t shy away from throwing some of the heaviest and most powerful chugs of this zine’s roster into the mix.
The careful construction of the wall of sound won’t swallow too many elements for once. And that’s a good thing. To the point that Daan Vangoidsenhoven‘s bass stays better on top of the mix than in most other records of this ilk we covered. The result being that all that sonic abuse rumbles comfortably across your stomach once you turn up the volume. Just have a care with the neighbors, they might not appreciate the treatment.
Benny Ubachs‘ venomous Death and Black Metal rasps, growls, snarls, and screams lead the charge like some coal-fueled and smoke-belching locomotive from hell. And – believe it or not, this here vocalist actually pronounces his lyrics to the point that they’re understandable. One that escaped Steampunk Central to wreak havoc on us mere mortals. Slaughter the Giant portray the Abomination well. Because – behold – in all that murky and overly complex wild carousel of vile and gritty soundscapes, something sounding like a pipe organ straight from Arkham City and some subdued keys from the underworld suddenly ring out.
But let’s not forget Joren Baert‘s whirlwind of a drum contribution. The RMR crew’s often underwhelmed with drums @ metal. Yet, this here performance truly is next level and will leave many a fan quaking in the band’s mighty wake. Meaning, the band truly masters the creation of an atmosphere of terror and dread while firing on all pistons. Full steam ahead until the machine explodes? Quite so. Only, it didn’t. But then, we don’t quite know how many sticks Baert really broke in two. Right?
But – do you know what a short 28-minute airtime does to a record? Total fucking focus, that’s what. Case in point, the record mercilessly roars forth devoid of any unnecessary fat or other meandering and unfinished business. Abomination turned into a highly intense and densely written affair with no loose ends. Slaughter the Giant also didn’t have time for artful adornment of stucco-covered little easter eggs either. ‘Tis an all-out metal assault that’s raw, fierce, jarring, grimy, and still sufficiently melodic to please. You will get some sudden injections of the Kadath’s Strings ov Doom2 here and there, you know.
In other words, the band visited our abode with a mean sledgehammer and created a next-level Extreme Metal record. A short blurb making clean ship with an iron fist of terror. Because – you see – the aliens and other daemons are about and might escape from the fiend’s hidey-hole else. But then, perhaps they already did. After all, the record ends with something called A World Engulfed In Flames.
Damn.
Ed’s note: And the record made it onto the 2024 Top 10 Records. Congrats!
Record Rating: 9/10 | Label: At Dawn Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 1 November 2024