The message is clear “not for black metal warriors.” Aborym left that building quite some time ago and the likes of ‘Kali Yuga Bizarre’ and the black industrial phase of the Italian band are fleeting memories, albeit very good ones. Maestro Fabban shifted the gears over the years and in doing so is certainly not looking for anything in the way of commerciality in his craft. It’s more a yearning for developing his music towards different styles and interests and this all culminated with Shifting.Negative in 2017 where a much more electronic base was realised. Some were surprised, others were somewhat horrified but it all makes sense as we swung from the ‘Dirty’ phase that had come before it. Musically this was more palatable and comparisons were made to Nine Inch Nails, not least by myself. Nothing wrong with that in my book either. Several remix albums have followed but this can be looked upon as the natural evolution of Shifting.Negative and it’s a big album in plenty of ways. Firstly, we have 14 tracks and 66 minutes of music and accompanying it came one of the biggest press releases I have ever seen, detailing the process of making the album and the meaning of narrative of each song. These take in some hefty subjects some of which can be distinguished from their titles and others more of a mystery. I would imagine these will be replicated on the CD booklet for further insight but it is obvious a hell of a lot of planning and thought has been put into things here.
Musically we rise from a whisper to a roar on opener ‘Disruption’ and although it would be a bit cheeky saying it’s the best song Trent Reznor didn’t write in years, once the sinister beginning moves into the explosive main frame you will be rocking out in appreciation and have the song stuck I your head for days. What an opening statement and there’s plenty more hard-hitting songs to come. The production by Keith Hillebrandt is everything that electronic music should be as this heaves and quakes with strange noises and beats littering songs such as ‘Proper Use Of Myself’ The band too has shifted since last album with new members Gianluca and Tomas on drums and guitars working in perfect synergy with Fabban. There is a focus on trying new things here, the soulful clean vocals of ‘Horizon Ignited’ at first come as a slight surprise but it’s a perfectly constructed number, the chorus hitting like some stadium rock monster and powerfully supplying another focus of memorability on the album. It’s a case of tuning in with open ears and listening out for odd things as the album decadently sprawls; a splash of honky-tonk piano escaping from a Western barroom, a burst of moody sax, some amazing feminine backing vocals, it’s all there. Most importantly and perhaps it’s caused by listening to so much extreme music but the overriding factor is that this contains actual “songs,” remember them? So many don’t these days and in this way each and every one of them here came as a welcome delight.
We get some balls out rockers such as ‘Stigmatized (Robotripping)’ a juddering robotic thumper and by complete contrast ‘The End Of A World’ a surprising eulogy to the times we face, which struck me as containing the essence of song-writing and balladry of unexpected groups such as Prefab Sprout and Deacon Blue, sublime melancholia and a clear case of thinking outside the box. The refugee crisis is the narrative focus of ‘Lava Bed Sahara’ and both musically and vocally grunge and the spirit of Faith No More is evoked in my head. Despite the upbeat nature of the song and the trip back in time grin it induces, the message behind it is serious and thought-provoking as with much of the subject matter on display.
But I can just provide a snapshot here of the various identities behind the songs as they progress and flow, each and every one of them intriguing be it the heartfelt caress of ‘Sleep’ or the galloping Primus etched heartbeat on overdrive of ‘Nearly Incomplete.’ Despite its length attention is easily held through the duration due to the variety, solid construct and flow of the songs here and I have found this a pleasure each listen, growing in stature each spin, a refrain and signature repeating in the head when least expected. If anything, it has an addictive personality and is an album that will very much stand the test of time making ‘Hostile’ a pretty much essential purchase in my book.
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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