I liked Outre-Tombe's last album, 2018's Nécrovortex, so it was with anticipation I first queued up their third album, Abysse mortifère. Right away I will say that Outre-Tombe have lost none of their thunderous and aggressive sound and the album overflows with pounding rhythms and vocals laced with malice. It's a late '80s death metal style these Canadians are shooting for and they hit the mark, ending up with something in the early Death or Obituary realm topped with a good dose of Slayer-esque squealing lead work. What's missing from Abysse mortifère, to my ears, is the atmosphere of the last album. This one comes across as more of an all-out aural assault, unconcerned with nuance the way Nécrovortex was, and that has something to do with the songwriting which I find somewhat generic. It's fine, especially if you like when your metal blasts you in the face, but I was hoping for something more adventurous and atmospheric from Outre-Tombe.
