Band: BLAZE OF SORROW
Country: Italy
Title: Absentia
Label: Eisenwald
Year: 2020
Style: Atmospheric Black Metal

Review:
I've always felt like Blaze of Sorrow are close to making it big like Uada did for example, they even share the label nowadays, but so far it didn't happen. I'm sure they have a serious and devoted cohort of supporters, but they are still not a household name in this genre and I think they are missing so little... Anyway, this is their sixth studio album, a 7 tracks work on the length of 44 minutes, very diverse from track to track, and somehow experimental for a 13 years old band, some tracks are faster and more aggressive than others and some are more diverse than others, and what unites them all (at least that's my impression) is the vocal part with its lack of versatility that otherwise I would have blamed. The highlight of the album is by far the guitar work: the riffs are usual to this genre, nothing to surprise the listener much, but the leads and solos are fabulous, demonstrating a real opening to influences from genres far away from Black Metal, some close to it (or at least attended before by Blaze of Sorrow) like Folk, which is maybe the biggest "intruder" here, some passages (or even whole tracks, see the closing Morte di un Immortale) remind me of Moonsorrow or Tenhi, and to tell you the truth those are my favorites on this album. I have to mention the fabulous Sonno d'eterno track, one of the best I've heard lately, where the guitar work gives the best example of classy Atmospheric / Melodic Black Metal. Also, as something that needs mentioning, I feel the drums sound a bit too synthetic at times, but overall not annoying though. Released on 4 panels Digipak and cassette formats by Eisenwald.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8.5/10

Contact:
blazeofsorrow.bandcamp.com
eisenton.de