Review: Abscence ‘Each Fervent Kiss’ EP
So, just over a year ago, I stumbled upon a band whose music I don’t usually give my time to these days. Gothic death/black metal hasn’t really been on my agenda in a good few years. There were a handful of bands in the ‘90s that I enjoyed, one of which was Cradle Of Filth when they first started. I quickly grew tired of their need to prioritise theatrics over music, and by the second album, I had moved away from that scene completely.
It wasn’t because I hadn’t liked the concepts or the aesthetic, but it was more a case of the comical dress-up of it all, when a lot of the music wasn’t as good as it could have been. I was growing more interested in the likes of Entombed and Carcass, both of whom were brutal without the need for corpse paint and prosthetics, driven by a sonic force and intensity. Yes, neither act was black metal, but both were far darker in tone to me, yet retained a sense of tune.
Since then, I have watched hundreds of bands come and go, and the one scene that seemed to always struggle has been this black and gothic metal genre. Unfortunately, some bands are still with us, dragging their tired style around. While new acts such as Witch Club Satan, Hulder, and Asagraum have taken the idea and revolutionised it, there are also acts who have run with it and brought their own unique touch, one being the incredible Gaahls Wyrd, and the other is the UK’s Absence.
I say the UK, but one thing that sets Absenceapart is that the mastermind behind the outfit is well known for finding truly unique musicians across the scene to collaborate with. In doing so, he isn’t confined by distance, as the members are scattered across the planet. This time round the unit is a quintet, and even though this release is only a two-track EP, I really hope that this is the beginning of something special, with each artist contributing regularly.
As with the previous release, our main contingent and master of mayhem is Gawain, who provides all the keyboard work and associated symphonic textures. Also responsible for the compositions, there’s a real talent here for using all the good stuff and avoiding the cliché nonsense.
Then we have Aethra providing guitars and guttural insanity, while Zeth hits hard with those bass dynamics. Add to that Neroth’s Floor Vandenbrande providing ethereal clean vocals and Glenn Veldman on punishing percussion. The culmination of all these elements is a sound that is as vibrant as it is searingly demonic.
As for the EP itself, there are two sonnets. Each Fervent Kiss opens and is twelve and a half minutes of venom, lovingly wrapped in romantic, darkly gothic, blood-soaked majesty. It has all the components you would expect: demonic and possessed guttural vocals atop staggeringly pacy drumming. Add to that breakneck guitar work and a bassline that rumbles below it all, filling the void with darkness.
venom, lovingly wrapped in romantic, darkly gothic, blood-soaked majesty…
To be fair, each breakdown feels like a new track starting, so you are getting a good two or three tracks if you look at it that way. The first is near four minutes, and then again around six minutes. Two-thirds in, it stops completely before reigniting, then a final time at the ten-minute mark, when Vandenbrande‘s sublime, otherworldly vocals float in, providing a softer respite before things pick up to take us to a devastating climax.
It’s here where it all goes into overdrive, and all hell breaks loose. Vandenbrande continues to mesmerise while Aethra vocals compete for supremacy. It finally drops off and disappears, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
An Anthem Of Two kicks straight in with brutal violence. Even though its runtime is just under five minutes, it’s ample time to destroy any notion that this will be a fun little ride.
The vocal attack is utterly devastating, and each accompanying instrument is equally vicious. Panic-attack-inducing in its claustrophobic intensity, this one is truly legendary in its execution. Each lyrical line is beautiful in its darkness, the co-vocal screeching is searing, and the accompanying soundtrack is revoltingly wondrous.
I have to say, I’ve now covered two Absence releases, and there’s something refreshing about the band. I think this is what I was always wanting to see and hear within the black genre, and it’s finally arrived, albeit two decades later than promised.
This is the real deal. If you like the more extreme fringes of dark music, then check out Absence – they really are the best thing to happen to this genre in forever.
Label: Independent
Band Links: Facebook | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish
