Jono Moulds checks out the new album from ABSOLVA for The Rock & Roll Circus. Their forthcoming album ‘Fire in the Sky’ is due out on Rocksector Records on 18th February 2022.
ABSOLVA get serious with their forthcoming album release ‘Fire in the Sky’ due out on Rocksector Records on 18th February 2022. Songs such as ‘Addiction’ deals with alcohol and drug problems, whilst ‘Historic Year’ is about the all too familiar effects of the global pandemic.
Frontman Christopher Appleton expands… “ABSOLVA is usually known for the positive themes in our lyrics, yet this time we’ve been drawn toward some darker issues. The pandemic was a rough ride for most people, and I personally found it difficult to take, with a mix of effects on my life. Like so many people we suffered the pain of losing a very good friend to the virus and then more generally the negative effects on our music industry, were obviously really bad.”
Nevertheless, the bulldog spirit prevails, not least with the positive energy of album closer ‘Refuse to Die’. Christopher continues… “In the end most of us have things to fall back on and Refuse to Die remembers frantic Friday nights in my hometown Manchester and the wildness of gigs played straight from our hearts. We always strive to savour that energy in our music and performances.”
Certainly, there was much evidence of that energy in ABSOLVA’s live performances in the UK during the latter part of 2021, as special guests with Blaze Bayley (Iron Maiden singer 1994-1999). ABSOLVA also double up as Blaze’s backing band.
Guitarist Luke Appleton adds… “I don’t have words to describe just how good it was to actually get out on tour. The tour was not without mis-hap - both our manager and Blaze himself caught the virus part-way through, and we had a crash in the band van on the final weekend of the tour, yet ultimately across the tour we were grateful to only have to cancel one show due to Covid-19. The bulldog spirit shines through!”
‘Fire in the Sky’ bears all the hallmarks of classic British metal that ABSOLVA are known for, plus an even greater level of intensity. Recorded at Rock sector HQ (Manchester, England) during 2021, production is handled by Christopher Appleton building on his experience co-producing Blaze Bayley’s successful ‘War Within Me’ album in 2021, and the album is mastered by Ade Emsley (London, England) who has worked with a host of bands, not least Iron Maiden. The familiar team is
completed with a striking cover image, renewing the band’s collaboration with the talented AKIRANT Illustration (Spain).
ABSOLVA are: -
Chris Appleton – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Luke Appleton – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Martin McNee – Drums
Karl Schramm - Bass
The sound of a ’MAIDENESQUE’ twin harmonised guitar bursts and hits suddenly, as we open the album with ‘Demon Tormentor’. As the initial strains of the intro move out of ear shot, the verse, initially, holds dark and foreboding riffage, that suitably reflect the songs menacing title, and indeed, the opening lines, as ‘Appleton’ sings ‘Souls of the Darkness – Rise from the Grave’. My first appraisal (albeit we are not a minute into the song yet) is that we have a vibe/sound that is a mix between Maiden (as already intimated) and Priest, as the musical influences pour forward (and why not!!).
The guitars have a ‘high-gain’ sound, that echoes what has just been stated about the two legendary bands. They certainly drive this song at some pace, right from the front, without negating the fact that the rhythm section is up there with them. Vocally, ‘Appleton’ follows suit and grabs the lyrics with both passion and power. Strong start this.
‘Burn Inside’ kicks off with a brief sortie of syncopated drums, as a melodic and well-constructed guitar line is added, which develops along the way into yet another harmonised section, all this before we hit the first verse. There is an immediate change of direction at this juncture, as further ‘chug’ supports the opening verse. The song doesn’t quite have the same pace as the opener, but it still holds true, as it powers its way along the ‘Road of Rock’. Prior to the chorus, ‘Appleton’ offers some insight into his vocal capabilities, as a ‘guttural’ roar is heard, to such an extent that the band seem to stop in admiration. The chorus has a hard edge to it, but also enough melody layered into it that it’ll have you singing it before tunes end. A small, but well-developed guitar section greets us around two-thirds of the way in, which bridges between the chorus and solo time. And on that note, the solo, yet again, has obviously had a great deal of thought planned into it, as it flows beautifully, in a mix of speed and more melody. Great song, which certainly showcases the band.
‘Addiction’, doesn’t hang about either, as we are bang right into the track without a moment’s hesitation, as drums are royally ‘thumped’ and guitars ‘wail and wah’. Sensational start to this tune.
Again, this is not a ‘super-fast’ offering, as it ‘chugs’ away, all guns ablaze, leaving nothing out of the mix. There is a surprising (Surprising, meaning that it moves away from that ‘heavy’ vibe of the first verse section and offers some contrast - nice touch) and inventive chorus, which ends with ‘Appleton’ singing ‘ADD-IC-TION’. Given that I’ve already written that song isn’t ‘super-fast’ some of the guitar work that’s woven within certain sections of the track is nothing short of ‘blistering’ and you begin to wonder just how much skin remains on the fingertips of ‘Appleton’. Counteract that with a bridge section that appears around mid-way through the song, there is yet further evidence of some serious stylish playing, which has melody and acceleration in abundance.
A clean, finger-picked guitar part, coupled with a searing lead break begs the question, ‘What does God know’, which, from the outset, has all the constituents of a ‘slow burner’. The first verse is predominantly just the clean guitar, escorted by ‘Appleton’s’ smooth vocal, but take heed, I did say this was slow burner, as things gradually develop with some strength and authority. The pace remains on the ‘down-low’, but the intensity grows, as we reach the hard-hitting chorus, we discover a nicely blended guitar burst (or is it ‘lick’) along with staggered bass and drums, as the vocal drives through and over the top. The opening pattern of the song is repeated through the second verse, but there are further musical elements and shades added in for good measure. After this, there is a distinct change of direction, as the pace builds with a quicker/sharper guitar line that convinces the rest of the band to follow suit, which then, morphs into a solo piece. As the tune unravels through to its last hurrah, it builds even further, to epic proportions, all before a descent back to where it all started, with just vocal and guitar. Smashing.
OK, next up is ‘Stand your Ground’, and from the out-set, this track (to me at least) is reminiscent of ‘DIO’ (easily within my top 3 vocalists of all time, if not number 1), as the riff immediately transports me back to those classic albums that has his stamp all over them, that being, ‘Holy Diver’ and/or ‘Heaven & Hell’. This is another mid-paced ‘growler’ with its own darkness and menace written into all areas. The energy and driving beat that the song possesses in abundance, changes direction quite abruptly (to such an extent that I thought the song had run its course) where it completes itself, we find ourselves with just a vocal, vocal harmony part and guitar, for our musical pleasure, but it’s not long before the band crash back in once again, as its full steam ahead to the finishing line.
Quite simply, there is no messing around, as we ‘swiftly’ move onto ‘Fire in the Sky’, which cranks things back up to ‘metal-level’ with some good ol’ fashioned guitar riffage. Until a moment ago, I’ve been racking my mind as to who ‘Appleton’s’ vocal reminds me of, and then it came to me in a moment of inspiration as the first verse kicks in, that being ‘Don Dokken’ of the mighty ‘Dokken’(love Dokken). Perhaps this revelation then makes me consider the overall sound itself, which also has a bias toward them, that being, just in flashes and musical touches. Comparisons aside (and that isn’t a bad comparison, let me tell you) this is one seriously ‘scorching’ track of top-level molten
metal and is quite possibly my favourite on the album so far. It simply has all the main components that a Rock song requires and would certainly not look at all out of place on ‘Tooth & Nail’ itself, as earlier suggested. Brill tune!!
‘Man for all Season’ releases itself with a deep synth tone and some crisp bass, yet even more riffage is also let loose. The opening bursts convey an ominous musical bent, which is further enhanced by the opening line, ‘He knows where you’re sleeping – He knows you’re awake’. Initial thoughts are that this has more of a trudging, thrash edge to it (think Sandman) than anything that come before it. I love the pre-chorus, with its descending scale and kind of lulls you into a false sense of security, which is taken away by more peril in the chorus, as ‘Appleton’ cries ‘Here comes the reason – the goddess of pain – Man for all seasons – left out in the rain’. The chorus is further
enhanced by some smartly placed support vocal, which accentuates the melody to great effect. We have an unexpected, but creative bridge that is made up by a brief outbreak of guitar, before we head directly into a wonderfully constructed melodic dual guitar part, that lifts the song to an even higher standing.
The screams and background noise of an on field medieval battle opens up ‘Galloglaigh’, which for reference purposes, is from the Irish: ‘gall óglaigh’ meaning foreign warriors, who were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans in Ireland. Well, given the background detail, the opening riff most definitely has a ‘Celtic’ vibe to it, without losing any hard-nosed metal mayhem. This ‘chugs’ along relentlessly during the opening sections of the tune, well, until we hit the prolonged chorus, where ‘Appleton’s’ vocal rises and the band ‘punctuate’ and ‘scatter’ the arrangement to maximum effect. After the second round of verse/chorus, there is a ‘tribal’ bridge, where ‘Woah’s’ live and are used to great effect. This is followed by a guitar solo that fits in with the songs theme perfectly, more ‘Celtic’ vibes. On first listen, this song has just about everything I was expecting from the title and its history. Awesome.
‘Historic Year’, begins with a haunting acoustic part, that also has some great support vocal layered over the top, giving it all manner of atmosphere and intrigue. There was always a feeling that this ‘laid-back’ piece would only be fleeting, and I’m proved correct, as a full-on onslaught soon reigns down. The militaristic snare drum roll and guitar run ‘rev’ things back up. The opening lines to the track certainly leave no room for manoeuvre as to what this songs theme is, that being, living through the last two years of the pandemic, as ‘Appleton’ sings ‘16th of January 2020 we are’. This is another ‘rumbler’, with some fine guitar ‘sparkles’ interspersed between vocal lines. The pre-chorus has an element of restrain to it, which runs into the main chorus, but it’s at this point, that the drum pattern changes, as ‘McNee’ decides it’s time to give the side tom some attention, as it changes the feel of the section altogether, given that it’s practically the same musical part as the pre-chorus. Clever. The solo is played over yet more guitar riffage, but the pace increases, which gives licence to ‘Appleton’ to break free from the chains and let rip!!! I’m loving the mid-section even more, as the band ‘fuse’ into a frenzied pandemonium, as guitars /drums and bass produce such force, that you wonder how they will manage to return to finish the song off. More lead guitar work and the chorus round things off, but the intricacies arranged within the song are worth commending. Simply brilliant.
Another weekly review chapter closes, and for the last song on the album, and without a second of hesitation, ‘Refuse to Die’ blasts forward, down the wire and into unsuspecting ears (I forgot that the volume was on max before I pressed play!! Ouch!!). Straight away, this is a ‘no-nonsense’ monster, that showcases all the bands attributes, which have been detailed and described within this review (as a reprise, heavy, blazing guitar ‘chug’, melodic guitar lines, thunderous drums, rattling
bass and some top-notch vocal). As much as there is enough metal prowess during the initial stages to sink a ship, the pre-chorus has a lighter touch to it, with a catchy hook, and subtle support vocals added. The chorus comes a bit from ‘left-field’, as all instrumentation ceases for a moment and leaves enough space for the vocal to ‘spread the word’. I like that. Second verse and chorus repeat, before the solo takes its bow, but is played (for the first stage) over a different chord arrangement, before the second solo (which is heavy on the WAH), gets its airing over the main melody line. This has been a great tune to finish of the album.
All in all, this album absolutely ‘ROCKS’!!! That may be quite a broad and basic statement to make, but at the end of the day, that’s the truth. To my ears, there are some influences ‘here and there’, but hey, tell me a band that doesn’t have these?? The songs are strong and executed superbly, as each member easily demonstrates their skill, technique in both playing ability, song writing and composition.
This is a balls to the wall collection of Metal/Rock tunes, so if you want to get the ‘metal monster’ out, look no further, these songs will do the job and then some. You’d better believe it.
Review by Jono Moulds
Official release date for the album on CD and digital platforms is 18th February 2022. The vinyl version is expected July/August 2022, subject to global pressing delays. All bundles are available to pre-order now. More details at www.absolva.com
The first music video, the title track, "Fire In The Sky", can be viewed here now.
Ceri Davies
Presenter and Co-Director
