Wait… what the hell is this? A brutal death metal band that actually has… a BASS GUITAR?!?  One that you can feel? And even the drums have a bit of pop to them? WTF?!?  Yes, I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised when the new Coathanger Abortion (CA) had all of the above.  As anyone who is a fan of the brutal death genre knows all too well, the elements listed above can be harder than finding a decent pair of shoes at Wal-Mart.  Most of the bands either don’t care, or more likely don’t have the money, to put into a decent production that has any heft to it.  But if you do, even if your music is average, it makes the listening experience that much more enjoyable.

This is actually only the second album from CA, with their first one being 2009’s Dying Breed, but they have been around the scene since around the year 2000.  As a huge brutal death fan, I had heard of these guys in passing, but never explored their music (probably doesn’t hurt that their moniker is quite unique as well so one tends to recall them easier).  So with an open mind on this one, I came away pleasantly surprised.  CA play a dirty form of old school tinged broots, with a large helping of groove in the mix that really helps the album hum along.  With that being said, half the songs on this album are over 6:30 in length, with the whole thing just a shade under 55 minutes.  That being said, it actually didn’t feel as long as it should have for this type of music which is testament to the decent songwriting (or my love of this genre, take your pick).

Just check out the longest track, “Wading Through Existence”, for a good display of all that you’ll get here: you have the grooves, some nice blasts, and good old chugging nastiness.  “Forget the Past” is another solid track, also one in the 6:30+ range.  This is all backed by the indecipherable death yell of frontman Robby Wooten, and the aforementioned solid rhythm section of bassist Ryan Coulter and drummer Scott McMasters; Jay Terry and Johny Cakes provide the dirty guitar sound that gives the band the old school vibe.  They do speed up at times, but this will never be mistaken for tech-death and is more of quick run as opposed a sprint.  Definitely worth a listen, and one of the more pleasant surprises of the year from a band, and an album, I knew nothing about.  Kudos to the decent production job fellas, as it truly can make or break an album.

[Visit the band's website]

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