Absolute Elsewhere
| Absolute Elsewhere | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 4, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | Summer 2023 | |||
| Studio | Hansa Tonstudio | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:39 | |||
| Label | Century Media | |||
| Producer | Arthur Rizk | |||
| Blood Incantation chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Absolute Elsewhere | ||||
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Absolute Elsewhere is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Blood Incantation. It was released on October 4, 2024, through Century Media.[1][2][3]
Background
[edit]The album is named after the progressive rock group Absolute Elsewhere.[4][5]
The album was recorded during the summer of 2023 at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin.[2][5] Arthur Rizk, who previously worked with the thrash metal band Power Trip, produced the album.[2][5] The band stated in an interview that they hired an extra €9,000 worth of synth equipment to record the album.[2] Lead singer and guitarist Paul Riedl stated "Absolute Elsewhere is our most potent audial extract/musical trip yet; like the soundtrack to a Herzog-style sci-fi epic about the history of/battle for human consciousness itself, via a '70s prog album played by a ’90s death metal band from the future.”[5][6]
On September 27, 2024, the band released "The Stargate", the first song on the album, accompanied by a short film directed by Michael Ragen and produced by Mindy Kelly.[7][8][6][9][10] The band released a 73-minute documentary titled All Gates Open: In Search Of Absolute Elsewhere alongside the album.[9][11] Thorsten Quaeschning of the band Tangerine Dream contributed synths to "The Stargate [Tablet II]".[12]
Musical style
[edit]The album has been described as death metal,[3][13] progressive metal,[3] and progressive rock.[3][13] The album consists of two tracks, both exceeding 20 minutes in length. Each track is divided into 3 sections, called "tablets".[3][10][14] The album is over 43 minutes long, making it the band's longest studio album to date.[11]
Reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 92/100[15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Kerrang! | 4/5[14] |
| Metal Hammer |   [3] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10[16] |
Absolute Elsewhere received widespread acclaim upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 92, based on 5 reviews, which the website categorized as "universal acclaim".[15]
Don Lawsom of Metal Hammer gave it four and a half stars, stating "Blood Incantation's new album is two songs long. It's also pure prog-death perfection and one of the best metal albums of 2024."[3] Pitchfork's Sam Goldner gave it a score of 8.5/10, writing: "Just when it can’t seem to get any bigger, it all gets swept away, echoing out to some arcane, far-off land, where fantasy is alive and the riffs roam free."[16] Nick Russel of Kerrang! gave it a score of 4/5 and wrote "There are moments that do spooky, cunning, Morbid Angel-styled death metal better than Morbid Angel over the past decade, and there are bits, such as the second movement of Tablet II, that could have been written by Pink Floyd at their most cosmic."[14]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Stargate"
| 20:18 |
| 2. | "The Message"
| 23:21 |
| Total length: | 43:39 | |
Personnel
[edit]Blood Incantation
- Paul Riedl – vocals, guitars
- Isaac Faulk – drums, percussion
- Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars
- Jeff Barrett – bass
Session musicians
- Thorsten Quaeschning – synthesizer on "The Stargate [Tablet II]"
Production
- Blood Incantation – production
- Arthur Rizk – production
References
[edit]- ^ "Absolute Elsewhere, by Blood Incantation". Blood Incantation. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Doran, John (September 30, 2024). "Expanding the Circle: Blood Incantation Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lawson, Dom (September 30, 2024). ""Absolute Elsewhere is a mind-blowing masterpiece." Blood Incantation's new album is two songs long. It's also pure prog-death perfection and one of the best metal albums of 2024". Louder. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Hickman, Langdon (September 30, 2024). "Blood Incantation : Absolute Elsewhere | Album review". Treble. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Corcoran, Nina (June 26, 2024). "Blood Incantation Announce New Album Absolute Elsewhere". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Keenan, Hesher (September 27, 2024). "Blood Incantation Release 20 Minute Short Film, Along with Side A of Absolute Elsewhere". MetalSucks. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (September 27, 2024). "Blood Incantation Release Side A of new album 'Absolute Elsewhere' with short film". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ Baldin, Benedetta (September 29, 2024). "You can listen to Blood Incantation's first half of the new album "Absolute Elsewhere"". Chaoszine. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Blood Incantation Share New 20-Minute Song "The Stargate" With Short Film: Listen". Stereogum. September 27, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Bellino, Emily (September 27, 2024). "BLOOD INCANTATION Releases "The Stargate" Short Film, Streams First Half of New Album". Metal Injection. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Goretooth, Smokey (July 28, 2024). "Blood Incantation Announce Documentary 'All Gates Open: In Search Of Absolute Elsewhere'". MetalSucks. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ "Opening the Gates with Blood Incantation". Stereogum. October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Thrower, Thomas (October 2, 2024). "Album Review: Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere". Ghost Cult Magazine. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Album review: Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere". Kerrang!. October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation". Metacritic. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Goldner, Sam. "Blood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 4, 2024.