ABSOLUTE ELSEWHERE

Blood Incantation has been a bit all over the place on their last few releases. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. 2019's Hidden History of the Human Race is both brutal and intelligent. It features nasty, complex riffs alongside brief interludes of Floydian atmospherics. Their last two releases, though, have seen them go in a much more explicitly astral direction. 2022's Timewave Zero was fully electronic and honestly not really my jam. If you're more into Tangerine Dream than I am, it might be for you. Then last year, they released the EP Luminescent Bridge. One of the two songs on it was a fantastic synthesis of their usual death metal alongside more cosmic space rock and classic prog. The title track, though, is simply too ambient for my taste.

Their new LP, Absolute Elsewhere, sees the band expand upon the ideas put forth in 'Obliquity of the Ecliptic', off Luminescent Bridge. Death metal and intergalactic progressive rock both feature prominently, and the band strikes a great balance. (Though, like so many other metal bands that decide to incorporate non-metal elements into their music, they go on about 'leaving the notion of genre behind' on their Bandcamp page. And I'm just not nuts about that sort of framing. Blood Incantation didn't leave 'genre' behind. They're just playing two genres on this album, instead of one.)'

Like their last EP and the ambient LP before it, this record consists of just two long compositions: 'The Stargate' and 'The Message'. Each of these pieces is split up into three parts, called 'tablets.'

'The Stargate' opens with tumbling drums and searing guitar lines. Harmonics are used effectively, squeaking out sharp contrasts to the churning backdrop of distortion. The first shift from metal to space rock is somewhat jarring as quiet, clean guitars and odd percussive flourishes propel things. They establish a pleasant, floating groove, and the synth line is quite nice. As things pick up some momentum, the solos that emerge feels like they're straight out of 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond' (to an almost-distracting degree).'

The transition back to metal is a bit smoother, and I like the way they deploy synth pads to flesh out their sound. It adds a wonderful depth to everything.

Tablet II of this piece features Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream on various keyboard elements, and this movement showcases some stellar Berlin school electronica. Synth loops and Mellotron flutes build a lush atmosphere. However, dialog from a TV show or radio program or something quietly plays over parts of this, and that sort of Pink Floyd reference is a bit on-the-nose for me.

Eventually, acoustic guitar emerges alongside Mellotron flute. Those elements have an ascendent hopefulness to them, but the drums, bass, and electric guitar that eventually join have something of a darker edge. They soon enough descend into chaotic, squealing metal that evokes some sort of powerful cosmic storm.

Heading into the final 'tablet' of this epic, the mood is oppressive, and some Opeth-y (and by the transitive property, Camel-y) quieter moments are smartly deployed for contrast. Indic influences briefly crop, and it's a fun little sidetrack. Blood Incantation successfully keeps the focus on metal in this movement, and it features some of their best, most engrossing riffs they've ever written.

'The Message' kicks off with an uncharacteristically major-key riff and bounces between a few ideas before settling into a verse. Some ideas fit together better than others. The music is all solid, but the particular way they're put out there can feel disjointed.

Entering the second tablet, the band takes another borderline-jarring shift into some Cynic-inspired clean-toned jazziness, though it doesn't stick around for long. Some quiet moments here sound distractingly like passages on Animals or Eloy's Ocean. Despite these minor gripes, these gentler passages are well-played and do a great job of cultivating the eerie atmosphere the band is aiming for.

Absolute Elsewhere ends on its longest cut, the eleven-and-a-half-minute third tablet of 'The Message'. The riffs powering this along are muscular and propulsive, and the guitar patterns evolve and mutate in ways that feel organic (or maybe exo-organic, considering this band's outer space focus).'

The next quiet section Blood Incantation dives into features some wonderful acoustic guitar and synth textures, and the transition back to big, lurching walls of metal is smooth as butter. Guitars soar and sear the listener's ears, evoking the interstellar travel these guys are so fond of. This eventually fades out, dissolving into gentle synth pads and some quiet ocean noises. It's a satisfying conclusion to the record.

Absolute Elsewhere is a very fun, engaging record. The individual death metal and space rock elements are well-played, but the transitions between them can be somewhat choppy or awkward. Despite that, Blood Incantation did a great job realizing their vision for cosmic death metal.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/10/21/album-review-blood-incantation-absolute-elsewhere/