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Aborym > Shifting.Negative > Reviews
Aborym - Shifting.Negative

Honestly, a much needed shift - 92%

Noise Maniakk, June 12th, 2023

Aborym has always been a divisive entity, especially here in Italy, where too many people tend to have a biased judgement toward the band depending on their personal liking of leader Fabban - who's not exactly known for being the most sociable guy in the room. Still, outside their home country, the Italian industrial black metal powerhouse has always enjoyed a rather stable reputation, standing among the genre's greats together with Mysticum, Dødheimsgard, Thorns and Diabolicum, having left a strong impact on the scene with albums such as "Kali Yuga Bizarre" and "With No Human Intervention". And yet, with "Shifting.Negative", Fabban managed to piss everyone off around the globe. This album, released in early 2017, saw Aborym leaving black metal behind altogether, after a decade of gradual yet still not overt distancing from the band's early roots, and embracing a more mainstream-friendly industrial rock/metal sound (devoid of harsh vocals and overt extreme metal riffing) which sounds like a cross between various 90's bands such as Ministry and Nine Inch Nails - personally, all stuff I've always been a huge fan of, so I was among those who welcomed this change with curiosity, especially given my lessened enthusiasm toward the band's later releases compared to their early, late-90's/early-00's efforts. And yes: as a big fan of that brand of old school industrial rock, I loved the fuck out of this album indeed.

I think the parting with guitarist Set Teitan (who went on to take part in Dissection's awful reunion, talk about waste of talent) was the single worst thing that ever happened to Aborym during their black metal era. The man was just a total riff master, capable of coming up with some rather mind-blowing ideas which perfectly complemented the band's apocalyptic soundscape; after he left, things were not the same anymore, and at some point in the band's discography you could tell Fabban was getting more interested in the experimental side of things, only keeping the extreme metal component out of some sort of stylistic obligation, with the blasting sections being usually the least interesting ones. "Generator" was still intense, albeit not as memorable as previous records; "Psychogrotesque" was an entrancing, twisted journey which saw the band starting to take more risks and stray away from their black metal roots; "Dirty" was a rather mixed bag, with the electronic parts being definitely the most interesting ones. "Shifting.Negative" felt like a sigh of relief on Fabban's part, a liberation from any form of musical loyalty he wasn't willing to keep anymore, done in the most euphoric, impudent, shock-inducing way imaginable. It takes balls to make an album like this - and yet, it did pay back in the end: regardless of the different musical style at play here, this is the most inspired Aborym has ever been since "With No Human Intervention", with only "Psychogrotesque" coming this close. You can tell Fabban did truly believe in this record with every fiber of his being: every second of it oozes with inspiration, enthusiasm and true attitude - much moreso than an album like "Dirty", where you could sense the tense conflict and the stylistic compromise between outside expectations and inner artistic drive.

What many modern extreme metal fans don't seem to understand is that, sometimes, a 90's-style alternative/industrial rock album can be more intense and genuinely extreme than many modern black metal albums out there; bands like Nine Inch Nails, thirty years ago, were able to craft some of the most powerful music of all time while working within a more pop-friendly, easy-listening framework compared to most forms of "extreme" music. With "Shifting.Negative", Aborym regains that same old approach, injecting new life and enthusiasm into it. Yes, it might be annoying for an underground metal fan like me to hear Fabban in interviews shitting on black metal and extreme metal at large, saying he's finally "grown out of it", he's "finally learned how to sing properly", he's "finally become a professional musician" and he's "finally doing something new within music" (it's still a 90's-style industrial metal album we're talking about, nothing truly avant-garde or never heard before Fab!) - but, ultimately, I think what every artist should always do is follow his own creative whims without any regard for stylistic allegiances or expectations: that's the recipe for truly memorable, inspired works, whether you'll like 'em or not. This idea is often misunderstood and phrased a bit wrong, even in Fabban's own words: more than a matter of innovation and evolution (which I consider to be very overrated concepts, mostly embraced by hipsters and progsnobs), I think it's simply a matter of freshness and genuine expression. "Shifting.Negative" may not be an innovative album, being still rooted in a retro industrial rock/metal sound bearing very obvious artistic influences - but it sure is a fresh, genuine one. That's all I care about.

The first taste of "Shifting.Negative" we got was lead single "Precarious" - and at the time, none of us knew what to make of it. It was a gloomy, mildly sinister piano-driven Reznor-esque atmospheric piece featuring unsettling whispered vocals, more reliant on background melodic texture than on percussion, exploding in a "Fragile"-like synth crescendo at the end that still was nowhere near the blasting metal chaos we all expected to erupt. It sounded nothing like the Aborym we knew: Fabban couldn't have picked a more alienating lead single to launch the album, and I'm positively convinced that was his intention. But, when the record came out, everything became clear - at least, to me: the other songs were much more energetic, powerful and overtly extreme, and even "Precarious" did perfectly fit as a piece of this dystopian puzzle. This record takes the Nine Inch Nails sound, adds some more Ministry-style heaviness (former Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin is also featured on here) and breathes new life into it through Fabban's visceral, typically hot-headed musical perspective, still partly informed by some scraps of extreme metal songwriting - plus the obvious two decades of technological advancement, which manifests in a more modern-sounding usage of beats, noises and samples, closer to envision today's more palpable dystopian visions compared to Reznor's brand of vague existential dissatisfaction that imbued the cultural Zeitgeist of the 90's. It's in some way everything "Dirty" promised and only half-delivered: a massive, apocalyptic-sounding record hitting us like a plutonium bomb, working as a sonic commentary on social alienation and economic divides during the weird time period the 2010's were. It's ironic that, in order to fully achieve this result, Fabban had to leave his underground metal influences behind, in order to better expand on the cold, cynical, almost Manson-esque swagger of the "this world wants to fuck you" clean chorus of "Irreversible Crisis" (one of the most notable tracks from the previous album).

And so, yes: Fabban's vocals, indeed, draw undeniably from Reznor's trademark style, alternating soft whispers with exasperated, desperate-sounding screams which brilliantly capture the same feelings of repressed frustration perceived during the emotional peaks of industrial masterpiece "The Downward Spiral" (this, most notably, on tracks like "Decadence in a Nutshell" or "Slipping Through the Cracks") - and yet, Fabban's delivery sounds distinctly more sinister and venomous, still not entirely divorced from a formative black metal background Reznor could never rely on. Riffs are generally cut from the Ministry style of minimalistic cyber-thrash (more old school and human-sounding than Fear Factory's modern style of millisecond-accurate rhythmic chugging, yet still approaching it at times), supported by some syncopated stop-and-go albeit still non-static chords during the catchier, more rock-sounding sections ("Decadence in a Nutshell" is, again, a good example) and some noisy, atmospheric leads taken straight from the more old school, tolerable side of alternative rock/metal ("Unpleasantness", "Tragedies for Sale", "Big H" and the beautiful, near-hypnotic interludes of "Going New Places"). The amazing interplay between guitars and vocals reaches its apex of intensity on "10050 Cielo Drive" (easily the album's most extreme, memorable track, and also the only one to still feature some raspy screaming in its unforgettable refrain) and "You Can't Handle the Truth" (an urgent thrash metal up-tempo with a sampled chorus and some alarm-like synths adorning the unmercifully grinding riffage, in a perfect cocktail of dystopian chaos that follows the best industrial tradition); "Slipping Through the Cracks" does even feature some blast-beats, both during the intro (a section which, to be honest, sounds a bit contrived and unnecessary) and, most notably, on the intensely cathartic, soul-stripping chorus.

On a mellower note, typical NIN-inspired piano melodies will creep in from time to time (like on "For a Better Past", "Big H" and the "calm" interlude of "Slipping Through the Cracks"), enhancing a melancholic, more human-like component that previous Aborym records lacked by their very nature (one of them being even titled "With No Human Intervention", duh); other highlights in the electronic department can be heard in the beautiful glitching noises accenting some of the record's more tension-laden moments, such as the intro of "You Can't Handle the Truth", or even guiding us toward the exit door at the end of closing track "Big H". Nearly any sonic ingredient on "Shifting.Negative" seems to be used with some emotional purpose behind it, and not just as a mere tribute to Fabban's current musical heroes: it's not only a formal reproposition, but a substantial one as well - which is pretty much the difference you can hear in the retro-thrash camp between Nervosa and Besieged (if you know, you know). Ironically, as said earlier, the most contrived-sounding section on the whole album is a callback to Aborym's extreme metal roots, through the inclusion of some blast-beats that maybe didn't need to be there.

Regardless of its negative fame among the extreme metal community as an "anachronistic NIN ripoff", Aborym's "Shifting.Negative" remains a fantastic record, filled with such an impetuous drive, a harsh vibrancy and an enthusiastic need to be heard and shock you that it can't be ignored, whether you're a fan of the sound presented here or not. This stands alongside Al Jourgensen's batshit crazy side-project Surgical Meth Machine, Nine Inch Nails' "Not the Actual Events" EP and the second Sterilizer album (maybe even some Author & Punisher stuff?) as the epitome of a brief revamping of the old school industrial rock/metal sound that occurred around the late 2010's (often in open opposition to the mellow hipster music of that era) - before retro-futuristic aesthetic and 90's nostalgia got co-opted and absorbed for good by more juvenile, trendy genres such as the nu/core revival and even the edgier branches of trap music. Regardless of how much you like this album, insisting that it's not good because "Aborym ain't supposed to sound like this" and "they should have changed their name" is ridiculous: this kind of context-conditioned mental gymnastics is unfortunately abundant within the metal community, as if seeing a different moniker on an album cover is enough to magically alter its quality and worth as a distinct, individual artistic piece - but, luckily, I've always been pretty much immune to this kind of rhetoric, which if applied to all metal bands in the world would prevent us from enjoying many well-regarded musical evolutions.

After "Shifting.Negative", Aborym would go on to release "Hostile" in 2021, doubling down on the experimental rock elements and leaving behind any remaining trace of extreme metal that could still be sensed through the urgency, the intensity and the almost "edgy/IDGAF" approach of the previous album - resulting in a much more controlled, less memorable record (bearing stronger influences from brainier bands like Tool), albeit tracks like "Radiophobia" are still more capable of drawing my attention than your average modern black metal act taking surface-level inspiration from Mgła or Batushka, possessing none of the original spirit that made an album like "Kali Yuga Bizarre" possible in the first place. You can mark my words on that.

This is not Aborym. - 25%

Mateilkrist, September 17th, 2017

No one enjoys watching their favorite musicians fall from grace by repeatedly releasing sub-par music, but unfortunately it happens all too often. Bands and artists start to develop an ego for themselves, be it deserved or not, and they let their creative passion and artistic desire to craft something memorable slip away, only to produce music which exists only to fulfill the bizarre self image the musicians hold for themselves. The most prominent example of this within the tiny realm of industrial black metal is Italy's Aborym, who have forsaken the days of creating unique, interesting, powerful, and thought-provoking music, in order to put out an album which is the epitome of what I'd call "generic electronic stuff". Aborym has been on an undeniable decline in quality since the departure of legendary vocalist Attila Csihar, longtime guitarist Set Teitan, other longtime guitarist Nysrok Infernalien, his replacement Hell IO Kabbalus, and most recently veteran black metal drummer Faust. This isn't to say that the band's releases have been completely void of enjoyment, since they most certainly have had reasons to keep the listener returning over and over. It's just becoming more and more obvious that M. Fabban, the man in charge of Aborym, is no longer interested in making black metal or real, dark industrial, and is intent on forging onward with his own "vision" even if it means dragging the name of his once mighty band through the dirt along with him.

There's a distinct "Americanization" that took place in Aborym's sound with the release of Dirty, and it's been elevated to almost grotesque levels on Shifting.Negative. The songs presented here hold absolutely no relation to black metal, whatsoever. The music sounds much more akin to the radio-friendly moments of later Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and Skinny Puppy than the dystopian mechanoid masterpieces this band was putting out at the turn of the millennium. Now I do enjoy those bands, in fact I'd say Skinny Puppy are one of my favorites in their particular genre. What I don't enjoy, however, is when one of my favorite artists jumps ship from the sound they pioneered and perfected in order to appeal to a completely different audience, and the final product just isn't good. I'd call it selling out, but who exactly is this going to be sold to? Shifting.Negative is too abrasive for radio play, not danceable enough for a rave, no longer metal enough for their loyal fan base, not harsh or pounding enough for industrial fans, and most certainly not black metal. If Fabban had decided to lay Aborym to rest, as he should, and name this new band he's working with something like, hey, how about "Shifting.Negative", the blow to the fans of Aborym's classic works would be much less significant. No one present from Aborym's greatest releases is to be found here, except Fabban, so it's not like we're even dealing with the same band anyway.

Fabban's vocals deserve a special mention, just for how fucking annoying they are. It would seem he has begun aping Ministry's Al Jourgensen, both in vocal style and appearance. Comparisons to Nivek Ogre can also be made...and that's really it. Fabban spends the whole album doing imitations of these two vocalists, with a lot of whispered parts thrown in, and very rarely does it sound good. There's a very nasaly quality to his voice, as we've come to hear on the previous two albums in which he took over the mic. The lyrics which permeate Shifting.Negative are just the most juvenile, uncreative stuff you can imagine. Gone are the cryptic yet empowering lyrics of occultism from the old releases, only to be replaced by drugged-up angst, slamming doors in faces, fake depression, Heroin use, and Charles Manson references. Charles fucking Manson, guys. The bizarre adoration these Italians hold for Uncle Charlie reared it's head as early as Generator, but at least that album was backed by enough decent songwriting and real lyrics to distract from the lame samples. Here, listening to Fabban yell "If I started murdering people - there'd be none of you LEFT!" is just so agonizingly stupid that I can't take it. And of course there's "helter-skelter" references...seriously, most angsty kids grow out of their Manson adoration before finishing high school. When such a radical departure from the old sound occurs, in ideology, lyrical subjects, and the overall sound of the music, a name change for the band is almost mandatory. I would like to say to Mr. Fabban, you sound like a whiny cunt here. The rotten salad of juvenile lyrics, broken English, and irritating voice make this album an extremely cringe-worthy listening experience (amongst all the other bullshit present here).

As to the music itself, it's just a disjointed mess that tries to be too many things at once. One minute it's poppy electronic, the next it's Ministry-style riffage, followed by more generic electronic stuff, all with Fabban trying to imitate his favorite vocalists on top of it. There are a lot of bombastic and hard-hitting electronic thumps which do ring true to the industrial spirit of things, but they're mixed to the point where they sound sterile and uninspiring, contributing absolutely nothing. For those who thought With No Human Intervention was too eclectic, listen to Shifting.Negative. The contrast between good eclecticism and terrible eclecticism will be starkly audible now. There actually are moments on this album that aren't terrible, but they're just so spread out between passages of awkward bullshit that I can't really bring myself to give any praise for recording them. Good moments in bad songs will not save the songs, when the bad outnumber the good.

There is zero relation here to any of the strange, extra-terrestrial sounds of Kali Yuga Bizarre, the deep-space horror of Fire Walk With Us, the electro-industrial science experiments of With No Human Intervention, the apocalyptic yet spiritual nihilism of Generator, or even the bizarrely bolted together (yet still quite listenable) Psychogrotesque on this release. At least the previous album, Dirty, while still being a sign of the worst things to come for this band, had a semblance of industrial black metal akin to Blacklodge or Gorgonea Prima remaining in it. What remains of Aborym's sound today is a sterile, deconstructed, empty shell of what was once an innovative black metal band hell-bent on re-shaping the sound of the genre. It's safe to say that the Aborym of old is officially dead and isn't coming back. I sincerely hope M. Fabban is done desecrating the name of Aborym with watered down horse shit and decides to lay his band to rest after this unenjoyable mess.