Review by Daniel for Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere (2024)

Denver-based progressive death metal four-piece aren’t the most prolific of extreme metal bands but they certainly don’t skimp on quality, invariably rising to the occasion when they do finally get around to releasing something. For that reason, there is always a huge amount of anticipation around just what it is that they’ll bring to the table creatively, perhaps even more so on this occasion given that their last release was a space ambient E.P. entitled “Timewave Zero” which I’m still yet to get around to checking out. There are certainly reasons for the group's lack of regular activity though as all four members have a number of significant musical pursuits going simultaneously &, when you look at each individual’s credentials, it’s really no surprise that Blood Incantation are a class act. I’ve been aware of them since first discovering their highly regarded debut album “Starspawn” back in 2016 & have explored all of their proper releases (with the exception of the previously-mentioned E.P.) in the time since, even going back to their less impressive 2014 “Astral Spells” demo at one point. The last full-length Blood Incantation release (i.e. 2019’s immense “Hidden History of the Human Race” sophomore album) was a massive hit in the underground metal scene & you would probably need to have been living under a rock to have missed that one. I really enjoyed it too, although I have to admit that I’ve never rated it as the undeniable classic that most extreme metal fans seem to these days. It was certainly a very enjoyable & rewarding listen though & I’ve found myself returning to it on multiple occasions since. It saw Blood Incantation reaching further into their creative pockets than they had on their debut &, in doing so, becoming a fully-fledged progressive death metal band for the first time. Off the back of that successful experiment, I think most fans (including myself) were wondering just how far they’d take things with their much-anticipated follow-up.

“Absolute Elsewhere” was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios in Germany during the summer of 2023 with American Arthur Rizk who is not only known for being a member of several prominent US bands (including Eternal Champion & Sumerlands) but is also a very experienced producer, mixer & mastering engineer with a slew of high-profile releases under his belt. The results of those sessions (which would become the band’s first release for the legendary Century Media label) represent another impressive release that sounds as professional as you’d expect. Although the album attacks a variety of disparate musical angles, it always maintains its death metal integrity & whenever the band return to their more conventional sound for a period you feel a warm rush of comfort fill your body. That’s not to say that the progressive exploration isn’t exhilarating though because it certainly is. “Absolute Elsewhere” sees the four band members tackling a variety of well-executed progressive sounds & genres, mainly drawn from the rock & electronic space. The transitions to & from the purely death metal parts can be a little jarring at times though & I think it’s fair to say that Blood Incantation rarely mix their original sound with the outside influences, instead tending to draw clear lines of delineation between the different sections.

The performances are all excellent of course. The extreme vocals of guitarist Paul Riedl (Chthonic Deity/Leech/Spectral Voice/Münn/Velnias) may not be the most unique of death growls (in fact, they are a touch generic if I'm being honest) but they are still menacing enough to be fit for purpose. His riff work with fellow guitarist Morris Kolontyrsky (Spectral Voice/Black Curse/Nekrofilth) balances old-school death metal with more expansive progressive metal structures very well which means that, despite the added sophistication, you won’t struggle to identify Blood Incantation’s classic death metal roots (see Morbid Angel, Gorguts, Death, etc). Bass player Jeff Barrett (Spectral Voice/Velnias) bubbles away just below the surface without really attempting to take the spotlight at any point while the contributions of drummer Isaac Faulk (Lykotonon/ Stormkeep/Wayfarer) tend stay within the confines of the conventional death metal model for the most part, not extending all that far into progressive indulgence which is another reason that Blood Incantation always maintain strong links to their past.

The album consists of two lengthy tracks that are broken into three parts each. The first of these pieces is called “The Stargate” & is a wonderful example of Blood Incantation’s unique style. The first & third parts of this special track take the form of your more standard progressive death metal sound with some spacey prog rock additions here & there but it’s the instrumental track that sits between them (known as “Tablet II”) that’s the real gold on this album in my opinion, seeing the foursome indulging in an exhilarating array of sounds from space ambient to progressive rock & finishing with a huge post-metal crescendo. It’s one of the best things that Blood Incantation have done in my opinion & has been something I’ve returned to a number of times on top of my usual three or four listens per visit. The second of the two long pieces is called “The Message” &, while it may not be as holistically strong as “The Stargate”, I’s still a very solid & interesting listen in its own right. Like the opener, you’ll no doubt pick up on a very strong Pink Floyd influence at times. In fact, there are parts of “The Stargate (Tablet I)” & “The Message (Tablet II)” which might as well be plagiarism to be honest because it’s just so obvious as to what Floyd songs they’re trying to emulate. I have to say that they do pull it off extremely well though & that’s saying something coming from the massive life-long Floyd devotee that I am. I’m also a really big fan of 1970's progressive electronic & ambient music & it’s pretty amazing that they manage to achieve what they have in that space here too actually as this material could easily have been pulled from some of the better releases from those genres, even feeling uncannily like the eras that have influenced them from several decades ago too.

“Absolute Elsewhere” is another excellent release from Blood Incantation but, as with their previous album “Hidden History of the Human Race”, I’m gonna have to stop short of claiming it as the classic it’s being touted as by most critics. It’s consistently strong & exudes an air of competence throughout but I can’t say that I feel dazzled by the experience. I recognise that that’s likely just a taste thing but it wouldn’t surprise me if Blood Incantation managed to break through my defenses a little more in the future given the class, vision & efficiency they conduct themselves with. I think I’d just like to hear them combining the various elements a little more to create something truly unique rather than simply pasting a lot of disparate (if admittedly very well-conceived & fully realized) parts together in a slightly jarring fashion. More attention to the transitions is also on my wishlist for the future, despite my clear adoration for the excellent progressive metal riff work on offer here. Overall, I don’t think there’s much between “Hidden History of the Human Race” & “Absolute Elsewhere” but I’ve found myself slightly favouring the former. Regardless, I don’t think there will be too many old Blood Incantation fans finding themselves disappointed with this very solid release from one of the heavyweights of the underground scene.

For fans of Timeghoul, latter-day Tomb Mold & “A Conscious Creation From the Isolated Domain: Phase I”-era The Chasm.