I have only good memories about this EP. First time I've heard this piece was probably somewhere in 1993 or 94, when I got the tape (Polish pirate, released by the MG Records) with SERAPHIC DECAY Compilation of EPs. I loved that tape a lot, bands like DISGRACE and GOREAPHOBIA were so bloody obscure and brutal I couldn't get them out of my system. But it was the Finnish ABHORRENCE that really became my absolute favourite. This opinion was even bettered after I got AMORPHIS' "The Karelian Isthmus" wonderful album and when I got to know bit more about these Finns and the connection between both bands. Lovely time and being then only 14 it did influence me a lot and surely both were one of my very favourite bands.

Time goes forward, I'm 30 now and do you know what's the fucking best thing one could imagine? I haven't changed my mind a bit and still consider this EP as a killer. Ha, that's what I call an immortal power of music, but I dare to risk and say these Finns would never imagine their gory slabs will be so powerful and remembered even 20 years later. The band totally deserves its cult status and the influence they had on the scene is undeniable. I don't even regret they split up soon after - thanks to that we've got AMORPHIS and ABHORRENCE remains as a cult on its own.

OK, back to this seven inch! If there's one thing I don't really like it may be the front cover - a disturbing collage of zombies, corpses and other monstrous creatures, it looks bit childish now, but hell... It does fit the mood of the music perfectly. The EP starts with a creepy intro, when suddenly the slow riffing of “Pestilential Mists” blows up the speaker. This should be Finland's national anthem! ABHORRENCE nicely combines the fast grinding parts (CARCASS!!!) with the slower riffage, but it must be said this is probably the slowest song the band ever did. These slow fragments, often accompanied by memorable melodies are creating a main foundation of the song, while the fast riffage is only few seconds long. But you trully can smell the odour of rotten bodies accompanying these sounds.

But then we’ve got “Holy Laws of Pain” – one of my favourite ABHORRENCE tracks. Fantastic and aggressive death metal anthem, with brilliant vocals from Jukka and some superb riffs. Yeah, ABHORRENCE was all about the riffs – they had a gift of creating astonishing and highly memorable riffs; not just the melodies, but also those incredible slow tunes, that massacre like a damn bulldozer. Even the fast parts will stay in your head for long - this is something most of the present bands lost completely.

“Caught In a Vortex” is very alike to the opening song, but I absolutely love its middle fragment, with slow, total headbanger riffing. I can die for such riffs!!! And again some brilliant vocals from Jukka. “Disintegration of Flesh” from the other hand is much faster and more aggressive, but somehow it’s bit worse produced. I don’t know if it’s my copy’s fault or what, but it doesn’t sound as loud and energetic as the previous tracks. Anyway, it’s pretty straight forward song, with clear CARCASS vibe.

All in all, these four compositions create a wonderful 7” single. It’s one of those recordings, that will remain immortal to me. I couldn’t stop listening to it! I love every aspect of it – production, songs, riffing, vocals, band photo on a cover, etc. The only fault I can see in the music is somehow strange way of finishing every song. It seems like the band dropped some ideas of them and made them shorter so that they could fit on a 7”. I don’t know what the truth is, but surely these songs should take another minute or more to be fully completed.