It’s the heaviest week of new reviews in this site’s history. Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere has been the most acclaimed metal release for years. Foxing’s throat-shredding indie rock has become even more intense.
Foxing
Foxing
2021, 8.5/10
St. Louis’s Foxing have been a going concern for the last decade, and this self-titled album is their fifth. Their indie rock is ambitious and intense, touching on math-rock and emo. They’re known for taking themselves extremely seriously, and their records wouldn’t work without their whole-hearted commitment. Vocalist Conor Murphy is the focal point – his voice is raw and emotive.
Foxing starts strongly with the quiet build and sudden release of ‘Secret History’. ‘Hell 99’ is even more intense, while ‘Spit’ is funky, almost like a TV On The Radio track. The lead single ‘Greyhound’ justifies its eight-minute length, while ‘Cleaning’ is woozy and emotional.
The rest of the record tries hard to keep up with the terrific opening run. ‘Dead Internet’ heads into industrial territory. ‘Hall of Frozen Heads’ collides intensity with beautiful moments.
Foxing are criminally overlooked, and this self-titled record might be their best yet.
Blood Incantation
Absolute Elsewhere
2024, 9/10
Blood Incantation are a Denver death-metal band. On their third studio record (or fourth, depending if you count 2022’s ambient Timewave Zero), they’ve successfully broken outside the boundaries of the death-metal community. They’re enjoying wider critical acclaim, attracting fans who don’t usually listen to metal.
It helps that they sweeten their music with progressive flourishes. Parts of Absolute Elsewhere recall the spacy concept albums Pink Floyd made in the 1970s. The second half of ‘The Message (Tablet II)’ has barely any traces of metal, instead heading into progressive rock territory.
“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.”
Paul Reidl
The record is divided into two side-long suites. The first side is devoted to ‘The Stargate,’ while the second half is ‘The Message.’ The shifts from intense death metal to symphonic 1970s prog can be a little incongruous, but they work. An impressive drummer is needed to make Absolute Elsewhere work, and Isaac Faulk is a monster behind the kit.
The collision of death metal intensity and progressive spaciness Absolute Elsewhere is surprisingly effective. Somehow they keep each other grounded.
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These are both a bit of a stylistic departure for you, Graham, with some of the highest scores you’ve awarded. But then, your musical tastes are rather eclectic as well, which I admire. “The Message (Tablet II)” does indeed turn into a beautiful Pink Floyd-esque tour de force. I will check out the entire album.
Blood Incantation are pretty close to progressive rock, and 1970s Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson made some of my favourite albums ever.
With Foxing, I feel like I don’t know many emo bands.
Wow….both of these are different for here. I like that both are guitar based but I like Blood Incantation the best…kinda hard atmosphereic-Pink Floydish….
It’s a really good record – I’m not a big death metal fan, as you can probably tell.
I’ll pull it up on Spotify…