When it comes to Central and South American metal, countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Chile often come to mind. But as is often the case, if you dive deeper into the regions you find almost every country has some form of metal to be discovered and in the case of Panama’s Abatuar what you’ll find is an extremely raw and methodical take on black/death metal and grindcore. Formed seven years ago by drummer/vocalist Cadaver, with the help of session musicians each release has waged an all-out assault on listeners, and this is once again the case on the project’s sophomore full-length Mortandad. While it sticks within the stylistic elements one would expect, this album hits hard and has a bit more staying power than the average “war metal” band.
There have been more and more groups seeking to write the most extreme and bludgeoning takes on black/death metal and war metal in recent years, with some going for style over substance and offering the same drum patterns and riffs for entire albums. While Abatuar does fall into some patterns over the course of Mortandad, their devotion to everything old-school pulls a wider range of influences than the usual Black Witchery or Blasphemy worship and this makes the material more interesting to listen to. What Cadaver and his session musicians have merged together is the gnarly tonality and punchier tracks of influential grindcore bands like Napalm Death and Repulsion with the rabid and almost militaristic sound of the aforementioned black/death metal acts. The extremely raw guitar and bass tone brings Horrified and World Downfall to mind as often as it does Fallen Angel of Doom…, and that gives Abatuar a distinctive approach from the get-go. Tracks like “Perversa psicopatía de infantes homicidas que juegan con sangre y vísceras” are perfect examples of the band at its best, as the instrumentals start off with lurching and murkier guitar riffs that are somewhere between old-school death metal and brutal death metal and transition into a flurry of punchier grindcore riffs around three-quarters in. Sometimes the drum patterns showcase a bit more punk influence, and Abatuar is able to merge these different influences together seamlessly into a monstrous sound. Admittedly by the end some of the shorter, blasting passages do blur together and the group has left more room to differentiate themselves even further from the pack but given the short twenty-nine-minute length it still works to their advantage.
Cadaver’s vocal approach is as distorted and inhuman sounding as possible, coming in at an extremely low and guttural range that sometimes approaches Chris Barnes’ Cannibal Corpse days and then heading into higher screams that bring in equal amounts of black metal and grind influence. There’s something about metal bands from this region that often lends to some of the most rabid and bestial vocal performances out there, and Abatuar is able to approach some of these same levels when they hit their peaks. It’s unrelenting on that front and often gives listeners very little time to breathe between verses, but that only adds to the appeal and gives Cadaver a commanding presence that will keep listeners coming back for more punishment.
Some of the more straightforward songs may start to blur together by the end, but Abatuar is on to something with their combination of unrelenting black/death metal and scorching grind. Compared to the hordes of bands looking to clone Blasphemy and call it a day, there’s something different happening here and it’s an album worth coming back to. I think we still haven’t heard the best that Abatuar has to offer just yet, but with each release they’re getting stronger and stronger and this one comes recommended. Mortandad is available from Dunkelheit Produktionen.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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