Despite its rather dated sound, the 1990 self-titled debut from Chicago's Abomination is a solid little release of old-school thrash/death metal. Recalling the early style of Death and Obituary, this debut (originally released on Nuclear Blast, now reissued and remastered by Metal Mind Productions) is very indicative of the time that it was recorded, but that's kind of the charm of it. Bassist/vocalist Paul Speckmann was the main figure here, his screams & shouts clearly understood (no indecipherable grunts and growls here folks) amidst the furious onslaught of crushing guitar riffs, beefy bass, and pounding drum work. Opening cut "The Choice" is one of the CD's longest pieces, a heavy number with plenty of inventive riffs that takes the listener through many twists and turns, and other highlights include the grueling thrash of "Redeem Deny", the energetic "Murder, Rape, Pilage and Burn", the almost hardcore intensity that is "Possession", and the great example of early death metal on "Tunnel of Damnation".
Despite some strong points, Abomination still is a very dated sounding release, with lyrics that try too hard to be 'evil', too many of those Slayer-ish 'maniacal whammy bar widdly widdly' styled guitar solos, and a production that really didn't do some of these solid guitar riffs justice. However, fans of the early extreme metal scene will certainly find this of interest, and Metal Mind has done this rarity justice, as the whole package comes housed in a nice little digipack, complete with original artwork, plenty of photos, lyrics, a few bonus tracks, and an essay by Speckmann himself. It might not be perfect, but this 1990 debut from Abomination might prove to be a fun retreat for many fans who need a break from the oversaturated extreme metal scene of today.
Track Listing
1. The Choice
2. Murder, Rape, Pilage and Burn
3. Reformation
4. Redeem Deny
5. Possession
6. Suicidal Dreams
7. Life and Death
8. Victim of the Future
9. Tunnel of Damnation
10. Follower
11. Impending Doom
12. Social Outcast [bonus track]
13. Doomed by the Living [bonus track]
14. Curses of the Deadly [bonus track]
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