Album Review: Cognitive – Abhorrence (Metal Blade Records)

The New Jersey technical death metal powerhouse that is Cognitive return with ‘Abhorrence’, their fifth full-length album and the successor to 2021’s Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction. It will be released on May 17th, 2024, via Metal Blade Records.

F**k yeah! Cognitive are back and back with their inimitable bang. It should go without saying that any release from this band is a reason to get excited, but then you hear it, and you’re reminded just how good this band is.

To date, they have released banger album after banger album, constantly raising their game and once again, they’ve done it with Abhorrence. Delivering a slice of utter brilliance that combines the best of their past selves with forward thinking shifts via the medium of tighter song writing that drops some of the egregious ‘techy’ aspects. All in favour of a more anthemic heavy sound that will have you head-banging from the beginning, right to the very end.

A beginning that comes with a serious amount of intensity as the title track delivers a cacophony of heavy instrumentation and snarling vocals. It’s so dangerous sounding but is stupidly infectious too. No-one will be able to stop themselves from head-banging to this beast.

The bar has been set, and while Insidious doesn’t quite reach it, it does come with some manic speed and has a blistering guitar solo that puts a wicked smile on the face. As does A Pact Unholy, but here we get some really wild technical guitar moments, as well as some of the heaviest drumming so far and some of the most gruesome sounding vocals. Cognitive are f**king beasts, and its tracks like this that prove it.

Yet, it has a chorus that is downright catchy. Madness.

Lovable as hell though, especially when you get the contrast between Cognitive going wild and stompy as they do with Ivory Tower, and sounding epic and melodic as they do on As the Light Fades. The latter is a track with a surprising amount of emotion in it, proving to be yet another impressive aspect of the modern Cognitive experience.

An experience that just continues to deliver glorious and garish heaviness with the wicked groove of Savor the Suffering, the no-nonsense brutality of Containment Breach, and the dark technical taint that makes Rorschach such a gargantuan listen. Again, the soloing is on point here and it’s really awesome that the album features so many.

Track after track of utter brilliance, Cognitive might have really found their stride here. No further prove needed then two more absolute ragers in the form of Lunar Psychopathy and Cold Dead Hands. Both crashing and smashing with complete disregard, Cognitive ending things in brutalising fashion.

Cognitive – Abhorrence Track Listing:

1. Abhorrence
2. Insidious
3. A Pact Unholy
4. Ivory Tower
5. As the Light Fades
6. Savor the Suffering
7. Containment Breach
8. Rorschach
9. Lunar Psychopathy
10. Cold Dead Hands

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