For millennia, civilizations around the world have passed on the harrowing folklore of mermaids for generations. The chilling tales of these murderous sirens luring unsuspecting sailors to a watery grave with their enchantingly ethereal voices have captivated people across many cultures for centuries. These tales serve as a testament to – not only how powerful a voice can be – but also how important the voice is as an instrument. And if you’re an Abnormality fan, you know this to be very true especially in the case of their new album, Sociopathic Constructs (Metal Blade Records).

Compared to their previous works, Sociopathic Constructs is Abnormality’s most intense and fastest album to date. It’s so intense in fact, that it grabs your attention in various ways. What I love about it is that although every song is intense, they all have their own individuality. There is absolutely nothing on this album that is repetitive and each song stands out on its own. You can easily tell that the band treated each song with love and careful attention. This album also explores the band’s range and variety when it comes to musicianship and experimentation.

Once you press play on this album, you are literally assaulted by the heavily technical first track ‘Monarch Alpha,’ which I believe is a continuation of the band’s previous single ‘Monarch Omega’ from their 2012 album, Contaminating The Hive Mind (Sevared Records). This song also has a lot of grooves that are reminiscent of the Old School Death Metal sound we all know and love. Overall, it’s a great introduction track. If you are a huge fan of drumming, then ‘A Catastrophic And Catalyzing Event’ is complete ear candy for you. This song slams pretty heavy and I love its technical compositions and grooves, which I find completely mind-blowing. There is so much to appreciate about this song, especially the vocals performed by the extremely talented Mallika Sundaramurthy. Her vocal work on this track was powerful.

Some of my favorite tracks on the album were ‘Dying Breed,’ which comes in like a
wrecking ball, demolishing all you hold near and dear, and destroys all that is sacred. Another song I really loved was ‘A Seething Perversion,’ which was also a pretty solid track that was well written and composed. Some notable mentions are ‘Penance’ as well as ‘Transmogrification Of The Echoborgs. The album ends with my favorite track above all, entitled ‘Curb Stomp.’ This masterpiece of annihilation has a speed progression that is extremely impressive! Every core element of the song was cohesive. The instrumentals and vocal arrangements were in perfect harmony. Mallika did not miss a beat!
In all, I was thoroughly impressed by this album because it has so many layers to it.

This record symbolizes the evolution of the band and what we are in store for in the future. I really appreciate the vocal work on this intense album as well. It truly solidifies Mallika’s status as the Siren of Slam.

8 / 10

KIM GILL