ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Absolute Elsewhere will be released October 4th through Century Media Records

Few bands have taken death metal into unique and diverse directions. Breaking up the formulaic growls and chugging guitars the genre is known for. To include elements of synthesizers, sampling, ambience and unique instrumentation. Blood Incantation are a part of that trend. Incorporating elements of ambience, noise and sci-fi-esque synths. It would make the band stand out from the pact, while also creating a defining sound that would set them apart from their peers. The band would even embrace their ambient admiration by releasing the ambient EP Timewave Zero in 2022. Now, five years after the band's breakthrough second album Hidden History of The Human Race, and on their new label home Century Media Records, the band is set to release their third album Absolute Elsewhere. Does this Colorado death metal act deliver a sonic soundscape that soars amongst the stars?

"The Stargate (Tablet I)" officially opens the album. With gurgling, warping effects, into manic and fast drum fills by Isaac Faulk, starting the album up-tempo and fast. Paul Riedl & Morris Kolontyrsky's aggressive, technical guitar playing, along with bassist Jeff Barrett's thick bass tone, really amplifies and helps build the song's opening. Riedl's cavernous growls echo throughout the main riff, as the song is just relentless in it's heavy delivery and drive. The pace comes to a crashing halt, as the song slows down to a mellow, ambient pacing. Drums are soaked in reverb, as a simple synth melody leads over the guitars. Atmosphere truly takes over the track almost near the halfway mark. Showing a progressive transition that you would hear off a Dream Theater or Rush song. Creating a trippy, ethereal and otherworldly feeling. Channeling a 70's prog rock sound with the driving, high pitched 70's highs on the synth section. Transitioning into a classic 70's guitar solo, tripping the listener up and making them think "This is the same song? The same one with the opening guttural growls?". The band returns to the brutality right before the three-quarters mark, with deep gutturals from Riedl and a wailing, classic "dive-bomb-led" old school death metal guitar solo. A truly adventurous and complex opening track, that entices me to here where the rest of the band takes the album.

"The Stargate (Tablet II)" segues into a thumping, low bass beat with ambient string pads. As the electronic melody begins to rise and become prominent. Giving off vibes of an educational video about space and the solar system with the ambience and motif. Delivering a very lo-fi, contemplating, relaxing feeling throughout the section. Soon, brass synths and acoustic guitar start to join the party after the halfway mark.

Pan flutes and reverb-heavy tom hits by Faulk, into a groove that becomes shattered by piercing guitar shrieks and high screams by Riedl as the song comes to a close and leads into "The Stargate (Tablet III)". A more old-school death metal opening with the guitars and aggressive drumming by Faulk. Giving off Nile vibes with some of the doom metal like guitar playing by Riedl & Kolontyrsky. Vocals juggle from heavy, guttural depths to spoken word and cleans over acoustic guitars and driving drums. Brutal in nature and performance, it almost leans into Middle-East territory with the acoustic guitar playing and percussion at the halfway mark. Commanding double bass leads the closing section of this movement. As guitars echo in the ether of the track, before studio effects begin to mutate the song's audio as the song comes to a close.

"The Message (Tablet I)" opens with a very up-tempo, high energy guitar and bass combo. Drums are intense and high energy, before blasting over trippy, reverb and chorus heavy clean guitars. Then, the chugging and heaviness comes roaring in. With Riedl delivering deep and cavernous growl vocals, compounded with the brutal drumming of Faulk and the studio production of the rest of the band. An emotional sounding guitar solo after the quarter mark, into spoken vocals and growls, continues to create this anthemic feel to the playing. Tremolo and blasts take over at the halfway mark, giving off a post-black metal feeling you'd hear off of Deafheaven's early work, before the bottom drops out. The slow, chugging build and tom hits, help amplifies the song's brooding and unmitigated heaviness ten fold. Keeping that high-octane intensity for the remainder of the song.

On "The Message (Tablet II)", a catchy, almost 80's melody opens the song. A Rush-esque opening bass groove and manic drumming captures the prog rock/metal aesthetic the band likes to play around with. Riedl's growl kicks the tempo up, into somber clean vocals. All while the band goes full speed in the instrumentation, and fully diving into the progressive waters. Creating a very Pink Floyd or Yes nostalgia vibe with the atmosphere, pacing, and complexity in the music. Especially with Riedl's clean singing near the halfway mark, with his vocals soaked in reverb. Instantly giving me a Dark Side of The Moon-era Pink Floyd vocal cadence. With the waves of soothing, relaxing and mellow ambience leading for the rest of the song. Before the tempo builds near the closing moments as vocals hop from speaker to speaker.

Then, we are off to the races for the album's closer "The Message (Tablet III)". High energy, fast-paced, thrash style guitars break up the party. Growl vocals come roaring back in, with heart-pumping drumming matching the energy of the guitars. The technicality of the playing on this song is top-notch, with so many intricate time signature-like changes and key changes. All while keeping the song heavy and brutal is superb. At the two minute mark, we get another moment of peace and reprieve. Flutes and percussion segue into clean, harmonized vocals. Creating a folk-like, storyteller vibe as the flutes lead the melody of the song. Drums pick up as clean guitars replace the flute's lead and create a hypnotic, entrancing guitar sound. The sonic switch-up back to the low and slow doom metal like guitars, transition the song to a darker underbelly as blast beats and synth ambience help build the ominous vibes to the section. With this section being over eleven minutes, the band goes for everything in creating an epic and grand soundscape of complex musicianship, atmosphere, tone and perplexity as the album comes to a close.

With Absolute Elsewhere, Blood Incantation delivered a trippy, sonic journey into the unknown that shows the band is just getting more complex with every release. This album is trippy, captivating and an audio journey that truly shows how not only talented the band is, but how they are pushing the boundaries of what death metal can be. This is the band's most progressive record and I love the band's evolution into the sound. Wondering how much further the band will go with their sound on future releases. A great record and definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a more avant-garde hybrid of prog rock and death metal.

SCORE: 9.5 / 10

1) The Stargate (Tablet I)

2) The Stargate (Tablet II)

3) The Stargate (Tablet III)

4) The Message (Tablet I)

5) The Message (Tablet II)

6) The Message (Tablet III)

FFO: Tomb Mold, Gorguts, Chthe'ilist

The band will embark on a fall North American tour with support from Midwife. If you'd like to check them out live, you can pick up tickets at the band's website HERE.