Absolution, UK Death Metal, my favourite kind of Death Metal. Those Poms really nailed it back in the day, didn’t they? A certain grittiness to the style and a definite tone and deliverance set them apart from their American counterparts. They may not have had Morrisound studios or any of that sort of shite, they just fucking went straight for the throat and never looked back.
It was almost as if living in a place so rich in history over the ages that a lot of them absorbed some form of density and character from the land itself. How does Absolution fit into this picture? Let’s find out.
I loathe bringing other bands into my reviews, but on this one, I have no choice. Originally formed by a member of none other than the mighty Benediction (Paul Adams, we salute you), they released their first demo in around ‘92 titled Remittance of Penance, an absolute must-have for all fans of the genre. Neil Hadden on vocals bringing a delivery, not unlike any other Benediction singer before him, and a performance from the band not unentirely similar to anything that had gone before, but still very damn worthy of your attention by a long shot time ten. Check out track five on that one Infantile Starvation to see just how good they were even back then. Then the inevitable occurred, and people left. Left, right, and centre they started dropping like proverbial flies after a good Mortein spray.
People came and went, as stated, and then by their first actual release, an ep named Temptations of the Flesh in 2015, they had found enough of a core to release something and maybe plan more for the future. A far better production ensued, and they delivered three songs of sheer UK Old School Death Metal heaven. Doctor Death about as fine as an introduction into the new Absolution as you can get. Soundbites galore, horror abounds, and the death wagon rolled on. Although only three tracks in length, you can hear a solid unification of all members and all of their influences congealing into one big bloody excellent monstrosity.
2018, yep, here we are. And guess who’s back. Well, you’d have to be some sort of idiot to have not guessed already hey?
Absolution brings us their latest – Confessions of the Iniquitous. And you know what? It is also not only another step forward for those that have stuck around, but all in all just a great Death Metal album. Yes, we have the usual sound bites etc. that seem to be becoming a kind of a trend these days in many a band. Carcass were the leaders of that as far as I am concerned on getting it right, but this is all out one superb example of getting it ALL right. The second track Gas Mark 8 is a total example of this.
Shallow Graves is a story of murder and a famous one at that. Although you can look that up yourselves as I don’t have the time to go into it. Beyond the Pale begins sounding so Carcassy with the sound bite provided but then redeems itself by clean riffing your face off in a display of sheer determination that would make a one-humped camel grow another hump just to be able to hold the intensity in. Did I mention Infantile Starvation earlier on in this review? Yes, I did, and they bring us this song again, and another, Love Sick Mind and the aforementioned Shallow Graves way back from the first demo. Is it worth it to regurgitate older shit? In this case, yes. But let that not take our minds off the newer material.
The Flesh and the Fiends is a quick little ode to what it states, before” re crushes you once again in a better sounding format, all D beats and magnificence contained within, a sure-fire winner for all, and a punishing reminder that their past is was as good then as it is now. Closer The Ogress of Reading may be about some big horrible Ogre that is a female who likes reading. But alas no, sees the boys here tackling the subject of the worst female serial killer ever. Amelia Dye was her name, and a very apt name it was for her victims, being babies, all died. A horrible woman indeed, and maybe if you have the stomach for it look her up too..
I like this band, they bring back a lot of memories and the project well for the future. My only complaint would be the sound bites, as so many UK Death Metal bands are using them now it almost becomes a ‘Guess the movie’ or ‘Can we tell you the story already’ moment. Your words, your riffs, and the excellence of the rest of the band are and should be – the story. Having said that, this is solid and highly recommended for the sheer musicianship on display. You must have this.
Absolution: Facebook
Release Year: 2018
Label: CDN Records
Category: Album
Country: UK
Reviewed by Andrew Cook
