An Interview with Sven de Caluwe of Aborted
Interview and Photos by: George Archibald

​Belgium natives Aborted have been going strong since their inception in 1995. The band is currently terrorizing North America headlining the Devastation on the Nation tour with Pyscroptic, Ingested, Disentomb, Venom Prison, and Arkaik. The band is currently gearing up for the release of their 10th studio album Terror Vision due out on September 22nd. I was able to sit down with legendary vocalist Sven de Caluwe to learn more about the new album and what the band has instore for 2018.
GA: I read that Aborted was originally an all Belgium native band with its members but now has members in The Netherlands and United States as well. When it comes to writing new material how does the band work with the travel distances to put together songs?
SC: Everyone in the band knows to work with Cubase. So, what happens is the guitarist and the drummer will usually start composing stuff, and then record demos. Then we will go back and forth on it with ideas till we are happy.
GA: Aborted’s last release was the Bathos Ep in 2017, is the band working on new music for a follow up album to 2016s Retrogore?
SC: Yes, we are all done with the new album, and it is called Terror Vision and is due out September 22nd.
GA: When writing new material what are your sources of inspiration, from the artwork the band has put out in the past I know you are horror fans. Are there any movies that you draw inspiration from?
SC: There are so many, but I think lyrically on Terror Vision, the new album, a lot of it has to do with what is going on in the world right now. It is sort of like, if you would turn the current climate into an eighties horror movie what would it be like? For example, media manipulating and steering a lot of things around the world, the impact of social media on everyone’s lives, but also the term media as some sort of demonic presence.
GA: If you all were in a horror movie,

which movie would you hope to be in and who would survive from the band?
SC: Evil Dead, and everybody dies.
GA: Are there any stops on this tour the band is anticipating, any certain market you enjoy hitting?
SC: I think we are going to hit all of them. We are doing a full North American tour, and we are excited to play every day. It has been three years and we have friends everywhere. It is nice to play shows on this cool package. All the bands are bringing it so its cool.
GA: What does the band have in store for the rest of 2018, after the Devastation on the Nation Tour?
SC: We are going to go to Australia, the place that doesn’t exist according to flat-earthers. In September we are doing a headliner tour with Cryptopsy, Beknighted, and Cytotoxin in Europe for the release of Terror Vision. Then next year we have some more touring planned, so we will be very busy.
GA: Are there any types of warm ups or pre-show rituals you like to do before you go onstage?
SC: I get really angry. Usually I will kick myself really hard, and eat feces and bananas, it helps. Not really, I should, but I don’t.
GA: The new thing in metal now is everything is Slam. This new style of metal to me is reminiscent of the old school grind-core and death metal of the late nineties with bands like Napalm Death and Morbid Angel experimenting with quick paced barre chords and technical patterns. Then it had a bit of a reemergence in

the mid-2000s with bands like Celphalic Carnage, Disfiguring the Goddess, and Annotations of An Autopsy bringing that sludgy styled guitar playing into the mix. What are your thoughts on Slam and the current state of this style of music?
SC: To me, it is nothing new. To me, slam is shit like Devourment. It has been around for almost twenty years. It is the same music genre with a new name slapped onto it, and a more hardcore image I guess. It is like any music style just like deathcore, people are hating it or not, but there are good bands and shitty bands in everything. It doesn’t matter if it is slam, deathcore, black metal, death metal, or poopy pop grind-core, I don’t care. There are good bands and bad bands, and that’s the only genres for me.
GA: Where can people keep up to date with the band online, and purchase your merchandise?
SC: Our merchandise is made in Cleveland, so you can get it easily from Indiemerch ( https://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/aborted.As far as following Aborted, if you want to follow a bunch of idiots we are on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Abortedofficial) and Instagram(@abortedmetal).
GA: Anything else you would like to add?
SC: Don’t be like Britney in 2003.

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George Archibald

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