Abduction Ritual is an album which should, by all rights, be making all the collectors and rarity seekers edgy. But somehow it's largely unknown. That is a historical injustice — just like back in 1994 when these four New Yorkers were too hastily dismissed as yet another Morbid Angel clone. To an extent, this was true. But not entirely. Imagine a more Satanic, dirtier and faster Morbid Angel and you're closer. And if the reviews weren't so dismissive, causing their early demise, who knows where Fallen Christ might have ended.

As it is, Abduction Ritual, along with three demos, is the only proof of Fallen Christ's existence. But what a brutal existence it was: Twenty-two maniacal songs in just 44 minutes, and the last track alone was nine minutes of Satanic noise. The blastbeats were inhuman (Alex Hernandez later joined Immolation) and there was an average of a million rhythms and breaks per track, most of them fast ones. Then the guitars, clearly inspired by Trey Azagthoth, but with even more perverse screaming acrobatics, parts falling one over another and making today's math-core bands look like beginners. Some of this (especially when taking the vocals into account) does sound like early Morbid Angel, but also might be a glimpse at what Morbid Angel could have sounded after Altars of Madness, if they were to pursue a more chaotic direction.

Abduction Ritual was far from being perfect, though. The sound was weak, simply because all those different parts and playing techniques would give a severe headache even to a modern-day producer. And the songs weren't so thoughtful, if they could even be called proper songs as such. But that is not the point. The point is in discovering a long forgotten band and getting your eardrums bashed in. Considering the year Abduction Ritual was recorded in, it might even make you think you're listening to one of the most violent albums ever. -- Maelstrom