Absolute Elsewhere
Absolute Elsewhere allows Blood Incantation's heavy and quiet sides to sound equally important. The synthesizers provide more than background decoration for death metal. They receive as much attention as the guitars and drums. The music can consequently travel far from its heavy foundation without losing its character.
The album contains two extended pieces, The Stargate and The Message, each divided into three parts. That broad structure gives the band time to develop changes. A heavy riff can lead into an open electronic passage before the return to distorted guitars gains fresh meaning. The music keeps moving without constantly sounding hurried.
The Stargate [Tablet II] demonstrates this particularly well. Synthesizers and acoustic guitar expand the space before the heavier rhythm returns. The change feels powerful because the quieter sounds have first received serious attention. Drummer Isaac Faulk increases the pressure through the build while the guitars add their restless accents.
The Message [Tablet I] also finds power beyond speed alone. A lower, heavier movement lets its strange guitar lines work for longer. Later, The Message [Tablet III] gives the music a greater scale again. Melody and force continue supporting one another, making the ending feel like a destination rather than another collection of ideas.
The scope requires attention. Anyone expecting a sequence of direct death metal songs will need patience with the quieter passages. The progressive rock references are also clearly present. The record nevertheless has enough cohesion to become more than a row of recognisable influences.
Absolute Elsewhere succeeds through the quality of its transitions. Soft passages give the heavy sections more weight, and the reverse is equally true. Blood Incantation expand their musical world while strong riffs and careful interaction ensure that the additional space leads somewhere convincing. The ambition is carried by the songwriting throughout.
