Band:	Bodyfarm
Album:	Ultimate Abomination
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	February 24, 2023
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Torment
02. Symbolical Warfare
03. The Wicked Red
04. Blasting Tyranny
05. The Swamp
06. Carving Repentance
07. Empire Of Iniquity
08. Soul Damnation
09. Sacrilege Of The Fallen
10. Charlatan Messiah

Looking for some seriously heavy death metal with extra groove and melody, and more than just pure brutality? Well, now it's time to get your groove on, as this Ultimate Abomination could be the thing for you.

Relying heavily on the groove factor as opposed to technicality and brutality, the mighty Dutch death metal act Bodyfarm have brought a relentless barrage of melodic riffing, varying from mid-tempo to higher ferocious speeds, along with powerful, rhythmic drumming patterns, effective heavy bass lines, and standard but effective harsh growling, much within the realms of Immolation and Bolt Thrower (the latter perhaps to a lesser extent). Featuring new vocalist Ralph de Boer, who also plays bass, after the passing of Thomas Wouters in 2019, does this fifth release, Ultimate Abomination manage to carry on the mighty trend previously set by them? Absolutely, with plenty of ferocity, imaginative songwriting, and grooviness in spades, but should we expect nothing less from a band with such consistency thus far?

The level of groove on Ultimate Abomination is quite simply relentless, with it's highly melodic and catchy riffing throughout, and with just the right ferocity, aggressiveness, and brutality to keep the style fresh without venturing into full-blown melodic death territory or standard traditional death metal fare. With all these factors in place, Bodyfarm have developed their own identity in the death metal genre. Each track never lets off steam; even when you find a mid-tempo section such as the beginning of "Empire Of Inequity", it isn't long before it erupts into sheer heavy brutality, whilst constantly maintaining that high level of groove.

The success behind the quality sound the band possess is undoubtedly from its production, with its incredibly saturating instrumentation compressed to a level of bone-crushing proportion, but at the same time still maintaining a perfect balance and mix, so the sound remains clear and not for a moment muddy.

Given the circumstances Bodyfarm have faced after the loss of their vocalist/guitarist Thomas Wouters, Ultimate Abomination has been more than a success; they have created a fantastic album, not entirely original, but still sounding fresh and interesting, and new vocalist/bassist Ralph de Boer has certainly stepped up to the mark and established himself as a valuable member of the band. Ultimate Abomination is a fitting tribute to Wouters.