© Alex Lindsay
*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state.*
This month’s state is Vermont!
“This band is so f**king good that I’ve already booked them for my funeral!!!” – Tim Morse (Anal Cunt/Horrible Earth)
Welcome to Februarys ‘State of the Art’! I thought I’d kick off the month with a band that will literally “eat you for breakfast”. From Chester, Vermont let me welcome the instrumental hardcore powerhouse that is The Aberration. The metal duo are made up of guitarist Travis O’Connell and drummer Jim Cole – proving that small can be big and mark my word, these guys can make one hell of a noise! The self-proclaimed “instrumental progressive, birth metal! Get off your ass and move now metal!” outfit formed in 2007, starting out like most bands in a filthy four walled-cement basement. They have performed most notably as support to Marc Rizzo and the Corrupters (of Soulfly, Misfits, Cavalera Conspiracy, & Ill Nino fame) alongside Urn, and have played festivals such as New England Blood Fest and Hothfest.
They now have three releases under their belt – 2013’s debut ‘Pseudonym’, 2015’s ‘Amendment’ EP featuring the thundering single “Bastardized”, and most recently 2017’s ‘Don’t Poke The Bear’ EP. Inspired by literally anything and everything, their sound is hard to completely pinpoint (think of an amalgamation of the depth and progressiveness of post-rock/math-rock giants Meniscus and Poly-math mixed with the hardcore rock n’roll prowess of Doomriders, with a flair of chaotic aggressiveness of grindcore veterans Napalm Death). The Aberration has such a musical diversity to their arrangements that it is simply not possible to showcase their range in one song alone. It is clear that they are immensely passionate and dedicated musicians who won’t perform at anything less than full throttle! Their high energy is infectious, with pounding rhythms and blasting multi-faceted melodies that are dynamic and exciting, yet at the same time can be beautifully emotive and sublime – you never know quite where they’re going to turn next! This is music, for lovers of all genres!
On their latest release ‘Don’t Poke The Bear’ you are taken across all levels and experiences of the human experience. From the powerfully explosive “The Lion”, which as its name suggests, will charge with strength and might, taking more of a post-metal stance with a flair of groove to mix things up. Next they do an entire 180 with “Into The Fray”, which is an extremely evocative song that pierces straight through to your heart. Featuring powerful guest vocals from Alexandra Serrano, this song showcases the extreme capabilities of this band in terms of diversity and sheer range that they can accomplish. Taking you from a sublime and poetic soundscape full of emotion, that soon builds up to an intense and cataclysmic level. With beautiful fills by guest guitarist Chris Daniele and an other-worldy solo by Kyle Leary, this song gives a powerful glimpse to the levels we can expect on future releases.“Doing The Dirty” thunders in with explosive double bass triplets which only builds in intensity and highlights the incredible capabilities of Jim Cole’s skills as a multi-talented and diverse drummer. It has extreme overtones of hardcore rock, laced with catchy melodies from Travis O’Connells’ screaming guitar, utilising pick slides for added drama. As for “Don’t Poke The Bear”, make your own mind up by watching the playful video below, or stream the entire EP!
