At roughly 45 minutes, the new beast by Blood Incantation offers us all two sensational compositions that are as confounding as they are engaging in their scope.

At roughly 45 minutes, Absolute Elsewhere, the breathtaking, diverse new opus by Denver, Colorado-based Progressive Death Metal outfit Blood Incantation, is unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. Recorded at Hansa Studios, produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk at Redwood Studios, displaying a cryptic artwork by Steve R Dodd, and featuring guest musicians Thorsten Quaeschning (Tangerine Dream), Nicklas Malmqvist (Hällas) and Malte Gericke (Sijjin), the new album by Paul Riedl, Morris Kolontyrsky, Jeff Barrett and Isaac Faulk offers us all two compositions that are as confounding as they are engaging in their scope, melding the 70’s prog leanings of Tangerine Dream with the deathly intent of Morbid Angel.

In “The Stargate”, a violent storm invokes the familiar before a grand cosmic key turns for a hint of sweeping scope to come with spiritual acknowledgement and accompaniment, as their wicked experimentations mixed with the harshness of Death Metal begin in full force in The Stargate [Tablet I], showcasing mystic lyrics roared by Paul (“Chamber echoing with dust / Drifting through beams of Light / Shadows cast upon the stones / Temple doors reveal the Night”) while his bandmates craft a beyond imposing ambience. Not only that, the balance between their undisputed aggression and the ethereal, soothing moments of the song is a thing of beauty, connecting flawlessly with The Stargate [Tablet II], starting in a futuristic, whimsical manner to the sound of their keyboards and synths, and flowing smoothly until an explosion of experimentations in its final part. And that aura of madness continues in The Stargate [Tablet III], with the cryptic vocals by Paul walking hand in hand with the superb guitar work dome by the same Paul alongside Morris and Isaac, not to mention the eerie narrations by guest Malte Gerick.

“The Message” is a step through doorways of unearthly beauty, playfulness, quirk and horror, and it’s indeed a visceral Progressive Death Metal attack that we get in The Message [Tablet I], with its enigmatic, pensive lyrics (“What does it mean to be human? / And the nature of Consciousness? / The mystery has been revealed… / By the dance of Nature’s quiet songs of the birds…”) also complementing their complex, thrilling and enfolding sounds. Then just like what happened in The Stargate, the second act of The Message, entitled The Message [Tablet II], also kicks off in a more experimental way but quickly evolves into a Progressive Metal hurricane, alternating between more primeval, savage moments and soothing, atmospheric passages. Lastly, the band offers the multi-layered, detailed and otherworldly The Message [Tablet III] as the icing on the cake in their new album, with Isaac sounding sensational on drums while his bandmates continue to deliver intricacy and energy through their vocals, riffs and bass lines, ending in a climatic yet mysterious way just the way we like it in the music by Blood Incantation.

Blood Incantation’s new album Absolute Elsewhere is the sound of a star born, and you should definitely listen to that beautiful sound in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, as it will undoubtedly feature among the best albums of 2024 in pretty much all lists out there. Hence, don’t forget to also check what the band is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, especially because there’s an upcoming North American tour that’s just about to start, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and to purchase the mesmerizing Absolute Elsewhere by clicking HERE or HERE, as you witness the defining of a new musical epoch for one of the most important bands of the current extreme music scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: The Stargate [Tablet I], The Message [Tablet I] and The Message [Tablet III].

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. The Stargate [Tablet I] 8:20
2. The Stargate [Tablet II] 5:08
3. The Stargate [Tablet III] 6:50
4. The Message [Tablet I] 5:56
5. The Message [Tablet II] 5:58
6. The Message [Tablet III] 11:27

Band members
Paul Riedl – vocals, guitars, mellotron, additional synthesizers
Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars, additional synthesizers
Jeff Barrett – bass, additional synthesizers
Isaac Faulk – drums, gong, additional guitars, mellotron, percussion

Guest musicians
Thorsten Quaeschning – synthesizers and organs on “The Stargate [Tablet II]”
Nicklas Malmqvist – piano, synthesizers, mellotron, organ
Malte Gericke – vocals and narration on “The Stargate [Tablet III]”, “The Message [Tablet I]” and “The Message [Tablet II]”