Review by Jack on December 9, 2002.

It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s very, very filthy. What else could it be other than the lovely brand of metal that we know only as grind? Ok, so we all know that grind can often be the most bland and monotonous concoction of music in the metal world. Many bands offer only the most mediocre depiction of what grind can truly offer. Thankfully a band such Abaddon Incarnate are capable up of serving up a real shot to the groin and not some wimpy little slap to the mid-section.

While not groundbreaking, “Nadir” is a good record with heaps of diversity – numerous tempo changes and the use of two radically different variations of the growl/scream. In a nutshell, Abaddon Incarnate is able to offer intelligent grind music. It’s not the 200bpm sort of material that can often end up being typical for grind. The excellent instrumental grind track ‘Progeny’ is testimony to this. ‘Progeny’ presents a watered down mellow grind interlude, which helps break up the intensity of “Nadir”, and makes it a far more enjoyable listen. It is the little features (like the instrumental ‘Progeny’) that really help turn “Nadir” into one of the more entertaining grind releases of 2001.

Where Abaddon Incarnate really succeed with “Nadir” is in the excellent precision that goes into every track. There is not one note out of place, and all the ‘intangible’ features of “Nadir” are crafted so meticulously that you really can’t find yourself thinking, “This track is really cool, but it could be improved if it had a better guitar break here or a higher pitched scream here.” Everything sits where it is supposed to sit. This alone makes “Nadir” work very well.

Bottom Line: Abaddon Incarnate is truly a gem in the grind world. “Nadir” is such a good album with so many little surprises to keep you guessing, that it becomes a real joy to keep coming back to.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7.5
Originality: 7.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 8 out of 10