Their furthest trek into space, Blood Incantation further molds their sound within that cosmic plane. Their third record under their belt, ‘Absolute Elsewhere’ stands out as their tightest and strongest record to date, wondrously combining death metal with space ambient tapestries, paired with a sleek flow and optimistic writing to lend more quality. Incredibly ecstatic from front to back, it’s a spacious exploration that evolves into something absolutely worthwhile.
With every project that Blood Incantation has created, the more they get close to that otherworldly space that inhabits their music. They have been creating grizzly death metal ever since they broke out back in the early 2010s, with enough melodic highlights that muster their records into quality even if the lyrical prose tends to gesture to those alien exploration amidst themes of futile existence. But ever since their 2019 record, ‘Hidden History of the Human Race’, the band ever so slowly immersed those otherworldly themes into their music, pulling together more space ambient touches that slowly skyrocketed into their purely ambient record ‘Timewave Zero’ back in 2022. That sonic markup is a hint to where they’ll head next, as they now have reached another layer of expanse within their newest record, ‘Absolute Elsewhere’.
Right from the jump, Blood Incantation carries a gradual progression of their overall sound, wherein those space ambient intrigue from their past records has now come into a synthesis within ‘Absolute Elsewhere’. This implementation gives more dynamics to the band’s set of compositions, adding atmospheric cooldowns that further sweep up to those progressive death metal passages that have only gotten more tunefulness this time. Worth highlighting is the overall structure of the record, where the inclusion of incredibly succinct transitions adds a tight and snappy motion to many of the record’s two phases that are cut into three tablets: The Stargate and The Message. Overall leads to these two phases have so much replay value and quality given just how much the band has inputted so much melodic flair. ‘The Stargate (Tablet I)’ starts off with grizzly guitar riffs, stomping blast beats, and guttural vocals, but transitions magnificently into this space prog atmosphere with the solemn synth swell that’s further backed up with the incredible guitar solo just before it flips back instantaneously into the chaos at the end. ‘The Stargate (Tablet II)’ acts as the ambient refresher from that feral first tablet - added wondrously by Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream - that pulls off a charming tone to those gleaming synths just before woodwinds paves the way for the death metal touches to open up its ferocious edges. It eventually transitions immediately to the final part of this first phase, ‘The Stargate (Tablet III)’, ramping up the blast beat rhythms, synth cascades, and tremolo riffs that elevate the melodic crescendos even more rather than distancing away.
Following off ‘The Stargate’, it then proceeds with the second phase of the record, starting off with ‘The Message (Tablet I)’. Entering with the most tumultuous composition of the entire record as it proceeds on changing from a manic blast beats section to searing guitar solos, leaving off a track that shambles at the very end as it proceeds on switching to so many melodic sections that only lands less impact as a result. This then transitions through the lilting reverbed atmospherics of ‘The Message (Tablet II)’, where the magnificent quality gets picked upon once more through these serene keys, clean spoken word, and tranquil melodic grooves. This tranquility finally leads to the ‘The Message (Tablet III)’, where the band pulls off an insane 11-minute piece that’s filled with a lot of melodic splendors, from the riveting guitar passages, pummelling groove sections, and spacious synths that go from swells of lilting valleys to capstones of feverish crescendos. Eventually ending the record where the melodies pull through with enough flourish in its softest and heaviest moments.
It is also worth noting just how the band examines the topics of human existence and the cosmic plane within this album, especially as their past records find their writing observing those themes through the acceptance of that otherworldly plane beyond humanity’s understanding. That aspect still rings true, especially in the ‘The Stargate’ section, where there is a lingering thought surrounding the fleeting existence of everybody’s lives, with consciousness being the only thing that will be left behind. Yet, for once, the band does something different with those themes on ‘The Message’, wherein they actually find themselves pondering what is there to be done within one’s conscience. A pondering that then leads to an optimistic realization, where within knowing one’s self, accepting seeds of peace and generosity, and leaving behind the waves of greed that sow evil within the hearts of every human being, that is where light will shine through for everyone else. There might still be a sense of wandering within that realization, but it’s a wandering that will only proceed to deep-seated reflections that are worth taking.
In short, ‘Absolute Elsewhere’ is the sort of album where the willingness to evolve has only led to a lot more impressive resonance, finding the band fusing their death metal tones within spacious atmospherics, and allowing their melodic heft and thematic exploration to open up more into soaring distances. Wondrously executed where the transitions, crescendos, and cooldowns are extremely ecstatic to listen to, to the point that it is a requirement to always listen to the album in in full rather than in pieces to grasp the layers of glorious splashes of dynamic melodies that the band has pulled through in spades. Blood Incantation may have created something absolute for the time being, the bright optimism they now carry will lead them to where the sense of hope and peace will scatter across the cosmos.
)Favorite Tracks: ‘The Stargate (Tablet I)’, ‘The Stargate (Tablet II)’, ‘The Stargate (Tablet III)’, ‘The Message (Tablet II)’, ‘The Message (Tablet III)’
Least Favorite Track: ‘The Message (Tablet I)’