Comprised of members active in Suffering Hour, Tvær, Nothingness, & Void Rot, the quartet from Minnesota took the band name Aberration from the noun meaning “a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome.” Their composition resonates gloomy, voluminous yet opaque, discordant positioning with vocals that are eerily harmonizing, altogether asphyxiating their listener. It’s mesmerizing how they’re able to tier their concept within three tracks, tuning in for less than fifteen minutes. They recognize how to keep you engaged and compress so much in I, II, & III.
Artwork done by Serpent Above, liquid charcoal on canvas; it replicates how this EP sounds: beclouded, soul-stirring, & fuggy.
Starting with longest hymn “I” (6:09), there’s gradual amassing escalation that by halfway point of track, drumming shifts into more ceremonial tempo, riffs reposition into more cacophonic intensity around the 2:20 mark, continuing until end of song, with vocal cadence that’s hollow, creating a lovely dark ambient noise that teeters between Black Metal & Death Metal style.
This is more notable on “II”, half the time compared to “I”, wasting no time to reveal more in depth tone. IMO really admire the balance of deep guttural growls that oddly pairs well with high pitch, carrying more Black Metal sound on this track alone.
Closing out with “III”, there’s a consistent, somber disharmonic song structure that’s intimidating yet beautifully executed. Love the drumming throughout this EP, it stands out on its own and is foundation layered with daunting guitar riffs to make you feel isolated yet comforted simultaneously.
It’s an EP that deserves more praise and credit for 2021 releases to check out! (Tori Belle)
