I don’t know exactly what’s in the air in Melbourne, but I’m certain of one thing—the underground legions of demonic spirits reign supreme there. It seems they’ve never even seen the doors of a church. Instead, Australia’s extreme metal scene was baptized in fire by the Devil himself. Bestial Warlust, Hobbs’ Angel of Death, Deströyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, Sadistik Exekution, Destruktor, Trench Hell, Nocturnal Graves—the list goes on, and this city stands as a breeding ground for unholy metal madness. There’s definitely some dark magic lurking beneath its streets.
Among the oldest forces to rise from this infernal womb is Abominator, a band that has always remained loyal to the barbaric essence of war metal. Sadly, they haven’t released anything new in over five years—but once you dive into their last full-length The Eternal Conflagration, you’ll find yourself screaming “Where the hell are these guys? Give us more!” The record is a pure blast of old-school blackened death/thrash chaos that recalls the savage spirit of Angelcorpse and Morbid Angel, but filtered through Abominator’s uniquely destructive lens.
Expect nothing less than sharp, speed metal-rooted black/death riffs, blizzard solos, and ceaseless blasting. The album thrives on complex rhythms and war-speed momentum. Compared to Angelcorpse, Abominator is definitely more primitive, more bestial, and more deeply entrenched in black metal’s filth—and that’s exactly what makes this album so venomous.
The 42-minute hate bombardment kicks off and doesn’t let up. The vocals are vicious and feral, with a delivery not far off from Angelcorpse’s snarling attack. Tracks like “Desecrator of the Sanctuary” deliver some of the most blackened moments on the album, while “Hellfire Armada” opens with gunfire and boasts a short, blazing solo that cuts like a scythe. “Sarcarium Tormentum” begins with ominous bells tolling before diving into another slaughter—easily one of the album’s standout moments.
If there’s a flaw here, it’s that the drum sound could’ve had more punch—but that’s a minor complaint in the face of such sheer devastation. Ignoring this album would be a grave mistake. The Eternal Conflagration is a masterstroke of Australian black/death war metal fury, and it demands your surrender.