With all perceived immanence picked clean from the bones of civilization’s purpose and a lost fascination with transcendence following fast the suffering of mankind only intensifies with every disaster that follows as New Zealand-based death metal trio ABERRATOR trace paths of human self-destruction toward impending doom on this debut full-length album. Persecution, war and death’s drive harass the senses as ‘Beckoning Tribulation‘ illustrates the lure of the end as callous, tormented upheaval of a predatorial species through bestially charged and impossibly dark-doomed death metal nausea. Impatient and wrathful upon reveal yet thunderous in its freely struck depth as the full listen develops, the knotted delirium of this debut weaves its noose with care enough that each step closer to damnation feels more consequential than the last.

Aberrator formed circa 2022 between guitarist/bassist G.P. and vocalist N.H. (Heresiarch, Verberis) who would eventually bring on P.F. from Egregore and the recently disbanded Auroch (R.I.P.) on drums for the recording sessions on this debut album. Their intent is described as built upon the darker realms of USDM and Finndeath and this includes death-doom metal which we won’t necessarily identify ’til Side B. ‘Beckoning Tribulation‘ begins with a severe, serious tone as the opening guitar strumming shudders and rings out its bestial yet sophisticated rise to action. Havoc rules over those first three or so pieces on the full listen as opener “Plague Monarch Ascendant” and its abyss-carving riffs begin to immediately justify the selection of P.F.‘s kit work, a trampling attack which speeds and slows in erratic, abysmal lunges. Doubled vocal tones, ringing dissonant overdubs, and a wandering bassline create a dysphoric, chaotic sense of procession as dread and droning tension carry through the opener. On the first pass through I’d suggest noting the brutal punctuation available to the last couple of minutes on the opener as hints of early brutal death infused rhythms add to the ominous and violent tone they’ve opened with.

If you don’t mind a microscope set upon nuance ‘Beckoning Tribulation’ has both rich and raw aspects to its production values which enhance its organic harmonic possibilities and sometimes produce entirely unique points of alignment along the way. “Flagellation Crusade” is a good example of this a shorter and more propulsive piece which offers its own unique point of harmonization in the brutally thrumming riffs about ~38 seconds in. Rhythms which growl and hiss over the grotesquely walking-and-dodging bass guitar tone make for movement which is not only bestial in its death-riffed violence but a wild moment of voicing for their swaying, and thus far sinister Immolation-esque verve. If the drumming were not so carefully placed, almost tanklike at times and scourging-through others, this particular song it might’ve sounded like a Deeds-era brutal death cut or a deep underground record like ‘Dawn of Kouatl‘ of that same era… at least that intense. From that point Aberrator begin to lean into their doomed, slower-paced moodiness overall (via “Doomed Quintessence” et al.)

The slower burning left hand slashes of G.P.‘s work aren’t necessarily blackened but there is a ranting and raving, almost ‘Furnaces of Palingenesia‘-level rattle to N.H.‘s vocals on the title track (“Beckoning Tribulation“) which betrays the persistent droning scrape of said rhythm guitar corridors and finds its own path here and there. For my own taste this step toward Side B feels increasingly dense, brutal and precise ’til some dramatic relief kicks in via the last third of “Spiritual Attrition”. In terms of where one could feel the doom entering every pore “Emissary of Suffering” is a definite highlight as a reprise of their more horrified, blood-whipping cult death metal sound. “Off the Crucible” particularly nails home the existential dread and doom-toned waltz of their work while hitting upon some of their most brutal riffs in alternation. The full listen is detailed when observed closely, woven with great care, but also blunt and cold in its doomed and swiftly punishing modes to the point that the whole of the experience is dynamic but not always instantly memorable per any given movement.

If it’d felt like I’d cycled through these songs lightly in terms of any criticism there is a two-pronged reasoning for this: First, these are deceptively complex and anxiously driven pieces with a unique guitar tone applied and it took some time to dig into the nuance available. One could reach into the wells of (early) Incantation-esque inspiration and generate examples of this effect but not this exact tone which is somewhere nearby the dead serious and severe raw edge the same team had applied to Heresiarch‘s most recent LP (which was similarly great.) Otherwise what makes these songs unique as a collection is said nuanced, turbulent movement and not inherently catchy repeatable events, though there is a progression from violence into total despair as we ride through ’til the end.

This leaves the overall experience resonating as an atmospheric mosaic of miserable resonance where death/doom, brutally low tones and wrathful meandering rants do well to match up with the suggested themes of ‘Beckoning Tribulation‘. As a debut full-length album the overall quality and consideration put into this record as a production/final product reaches a very high standard while still retaining a dark underground personage and determined, damaging tonal spread. While Aberrator‘s vision may not include any outright ear-worming points of interest, at least not without some deeper engagement, there is enough of a skull-twisting dynamic achieved by the full listen that fans of pure death metal should be impressed. A high recommendation.

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