Aborted Interview: Sven de Caluwé Talks Goremageddon, Touring and Death Metal

Following the release of Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage Done, Rockum's Gino Alache talks with Aborted founder and vocalist Sven de Caluwé about the band's latest chapter, its musical growth and the road that has taken one of Belgium's most extreme death metal acts to a wider international audience.

In this exclusive interview, de Caluwé discusses the making of Goremageddon, Aborted's beginnings, its influences, the upcoming tour with Cannibal Corpse, the Belgian metal scene and the band's plans for the future.

Gino Alache: How has the response been to the release of Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage Done?

Sven de Caluwé: I have to tell you that the response has been excellent! Honestly, we didn't expect it because we decided to take Aborted in a different direction and simply wrote the album we wanted to make. It's exciting to know that people enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

Gino Alache: What is Aborted's current lineup?

Sven de Caluwé: It's the same lineup that recorded Goremageddon: Thijs and Bart on guitars, Fred on bass, Frank on drums and myself on vocals.

Gino Alache: What differences do you see between The Purity of Perversion, Engineering the Dead and Goremageddon?

Sven de Caluwé: I'd say maturity above everything else. The Purity of Perversion was a good debut, and I still like it, although I was sick during the recording and wasn't happy with my vocal performance. We were young and inexperienced, and we did the best we could.

Engineering the Dead was where we became more serious. The songs became more complex, we played many more shows and toured a lot, so I consider that album the real beginning of Aborted.

Goremageddon is simply the next step in our evolution. We took the old Aborted and added new elements. The music has become more extreme and more diverse than we ever imagined when we first started, and we're very happy with the result.

Gino Alache: How and when did Aborted begin?

Sven de Caluwé: I founded the band in 1994, but it took until 1996 before we recorded anything worthwhile and found the right lineup. Looking back, that was quite a long time! We were just a group of friends who wanted to play extreme metal. We had grown tired of all the melodic metal and black metal around us and decided to create something of our own.

Gino Alache: What are Aborted's main influences?

Sven de Caluwé: Musically, there are many different influences. In the beginning we mixed Suffocation with Carcass, but over time our love for Carcass became even stronger while adding whatever ideas came naturally. Everyone in the band listens to different music, which keeps things healthy.

Lyrically, inspiration comes from many places, including horror movies and research into serial killers.

Gino Alache: How does it feel to tour with Cannibal Corpse?

Sven de Caluwé: It's going to be great! I'm sure the tour will be amazing. We've heard they're really cool guys.

Gino Alache: What do you know about Peru?

Sven de Caluwé: To be honest, absolutely nothing. Please teach me something!

Gino Alache: How did you come up with the name Aborted?

Sven de Caluwé: We wanted a short name that people would remember and that sounded good. We spent a long time thinking about it before deciding on Aborted. We also went through a lot of terrible logo ideas before Christoph Spazjdel created the one we use today.

Gino Alache: How would you describe Belgium's metal scene?

Sven de Caluwé: It's great—totally crazy! There are lots of bands and even more concerts happening. If you want to know more, visit www.deathmetal.be. You'll find the whole Belgian scene there.

Gino Alache: Was it difficult to find the right musicians for the band?

Sven de Caluwé: Definitely. It's hard to find talented musicians who are also motivated. We're a very dedicated band, so finding people with the same commitment wasn't easy.

Gino Alache: Aborted sounds different from most death metal bands. Why do you think that is?

Sven de Caluwé: Too many tacos, burritos and masturbation! (laughs) And of course our secret love for Britney Spears and Frank Sinatra!

Gino Alache: Do you know any bands from South America?

Sven de Caluwé: I only know Disgorge from Mexico, and I think they're really good. Apart from that, I'm sorry, but I don't know many South American bands. Is Neurovisceral Exhumation from there?

Gino Alache: Which bands do you admire, and why?

Sven de Caluwé: I admire bands that stay true to themselves and continue moving forward instead of repeating the same thing over and over again. That's rare, and they deserve a lot of credit.

Gino Alache: What do you hate?

Sven de Caluwé: Hip hop and reggae make me want to throw up. MTV rap represents the decline of musical talent for the next generation.

Gino Alache: Finally, what would you like to say to Rockum's readers?

Sven de Caluwé: Good luck, and keep up the great work! Hail and Kill! Thanks for your support, and don't forget to visit our new website, www.goremageddon.be, where we'll have lots of videos. Hopefully we'll see you all in front of the stage soon!