You know Aborted, I know Aborted, anyone who’s anyone in the extreme metal scene knows Aborted. A band with a catalog at a baker’s dozen, we are at their twelfth studio release, Vault of Horrors. An honest disclaimer, while I would like to think of myself as an ardent fan of the band and the sound they have crafted, I only really got into them with Global Flatline but followed their progress keenly after, devouring record after record, watching them hone their sonic blade to a sharpness very few other bands have achieved.

If it was Global Flatline that got me into the band, it was Necrotic Manifesto and Retrogore that made me a solidified fan. Sadly, Terrorvision didn’t capture my attention as much as the aforementioned trio of records, I reviewed their EP La Grande Mascarade here. I found myself struggling to maintain my attention with their penultimate effort ManiaCult, and my fandom of the newer iteration of Aborted was beginning to falter. Rampant criticisms were being thrown around in the metalverse that Aborted continues to write the same record again and again. While I tend to not levy my opinion as blanketly harsh as that, I do see why many people would make such accusations, as their hyperspeed death grind did tend to blend into a red pulp.

Fortunately, I am here to tell you that Vault of Horrors is just enough of a shakeup to the late 2010s Aborted formula, but your mileage may vary depending on the genre they are heavily dipping their toes into. A genre that many of the Puritans love to hate, disregard, and generally look down on, is the much-maligned Deathcore.

Vault of Horrors is Aborted’s version of a deathcore record. A death grind-core record, fusing their earlier genre moniker into this new incarnation.

For evidence of this shift into the deathcore sphere, look no further than their lead single “Death Cult”. With ample chugs and grooves to headbang to, the track is definitely among the most accessible they have in their entire 30-year catalog, and I say that as a good thing. The breakdown halfway through the track with Alex Erian’s (Despised Icon) vocal feature is a gut-puncher in the best possible way. The melodic arrangement immediately following is more traditional fare, harkening back to the TerrorVision/ManiaCult era. The second released single, and album opener “Dreadbringer”, features the cavernous lows of Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent) underlying breakneck riffs, something Aborted has always excelled in. The ominous opening to the track lays out enough atmosphere before kicking you in the teeth with bloody-grin-inducing ferocity. As a personal grouse, I am upset that the standalone single “Infinite Terror” wasn’t included on Vault of Horrors as the track would have fit right in!

More evidence of the stylistic choice of including more deathcore elements is clearly seen in the choice of vocal features. Vault of Horrors is the record with the most vocal features that I have personally seen on a metal record, with a vocal feature on every track. Props to the band for getting ten different vocals to record features, the logistics of which is nightmarish enough. Outside of the two mentioned above, the other features include Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse), Johnny Ciardullo (Carcosa), Matt McGachy (Cryptopsy), Jason Evans (Ingested), Hal Microutsicos (Engulf), Oliver Rae Aleron (Archspire), David Simonich III (Signs of the Swarm), and Ricky Hoover (Ov Sulfur). This is a STACKED list, but more importantly, it heavily biases towards Deathcore vocalists, along with a few TechDeath vocalists. While I was able to pick up the feature sections on most of the tracks, only a few really stood out in stark contrast to Aborted’s own vocal gymnastics. The most unique features were the aforementioned hardcore barks on “Death Cult” and the OSDM snarl on “The Golgothan”, which is perfectly apt to the techy-thrashy section that it is laid over. “The Shape of Hate” also has that trademark machinegun vocal delivery courtesy of the Archspire vocal feature, that is nigh impossible to replicate by any other vocalist.

Overall Vault of Horrors is a much more enjoyable product than ManiaCult and I feel the core elements will reap benefits in live performances. One of Aborted’s failings has always been just how unrelenting their tracks can be, with wall after wall of hyperintensity that not only fatigues listeners but also doesn’t work as well in live settings where audiences cannot home into a groove to move their bodies to. In that regard, Vault of Horrors does make headway, although there is plenty of intensity. I almost wish there were page breaks as they were in the form of breakdowns, grooves, or melodic sections to cut the blast-beat-laden double-bass infused, tremolo-picked insanity. I do appreciate when Aborted leans into their melodic leanings, and their infusion of epic melodic grandiosity feeds well into their general sound. There are hints here and there for keyboards and string arrangements. Without diving headfirst into the tired symphonic deathcore cesspool, I wish Aborted would experiment with adding more layers of melody while cutting back on the red-pulp-like intensity. A prime example of this trick being employed is towards the end of the record, towards the end of the track “Naturom Demonto”, the pulsing chugs laid over a sweeping menacing melody is exactly what the maniac doctor ordered. More of this, Aborted, definitely more of this!

The only staple in Aborted’s revolving door of lineup changes is vocalist Sven de Calwe who is a juggernaut in the extreme metal vocal industry. He has a trademark vocal bark that is hard to define yet instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the band’s catalog. The advantage of having a list of previous band members longer than many liberal arts dissertations is that every new member brings a little something different to the Aborted machine, and tweaks the sound just a bit. The disadvantage is that most musicians and songwriters take a while to really get comfortable with songwriting in a new band, especially one with standards as high as Aborted. Vault of Horrors does boast having the fewest lineup changes across records, which is quite the feat. Returning is drummer Ken Bedene who has been a staple on all the records that I have personally liked, so I am biased towards his output. What I only recently learned is that Bedene is also a primary songwriter and has extensive guitar experience, and his riff chops are impressive as hell! Also returning is guitarist Ian Jekelis anchoring more of the trademark Deathgrind hyperspeed riffs. He is accompanied by only a newcomer to the band Dan Konradsson (Une Misere), and I sincerely feel that it is Dan’s writing that draws heavily from the deathcore genre, yet fuses extremely well into the deathgrind sound. Not much needs to be said about bassist Stefano Fraceschini except that he needs to stop being in EVERY extreme metal band!

To be absolutely nitpicky about Vault of Horrors and more generally, the last few Aborted records, the production feels just a tad overly compressed stamping out some of the dynamics and drowning out sections of the busier riffs, leaning into the wall-of-sound complaint. This could be entirely personal preference, as this record was also produced by Dave Otero who is quickly becoming THE name in extreme modern death metal mixing and production, and someone whose work I have been keenly following.

Vault of Horrors is exactly the record that Aborted needed to revitalize their catalog and bring in fans from across the core pond. With a new emphasis on writing catchy groove-laced breakdowns, this record is the near-perfect fusion of their older death grind sound with modern deathcore influences. Fans and musicians of both genres should take notes. This is how it’s done!