Absent in Body - Plague God (2022) Hi-Res

Language is a strange thing. In the world of doom metal and sludge, words like festering, rotting and disgusting flip their meaning. This is doubly true when discussing Absent In Body’s debut album, ‘Plague God’. It’s good that a record sounds like picking through the ashes of a ruined world.

Owing their existence to a one-off collaboration, Absent In Body aren’t so much a band as Frankenstein’s monster, bolted together from the genre’s darkest creators; Amenra guitarist Mathieu J. Vandekerckhove, vocalist/bassist Colin H. Van Eeckhout, Neurosis man Scott Kelly and finally Igor Cavelera. The phrase ‘supergroup’ comes to mind but that sounds too heroic for the dark imposing music they create. Pretensions aside, words like collective or cult might fit better, possibly Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Given these roots, you’ll have a reasonable idea of what to expect from the album – a blend of post-metal and doom with Sepultura’s former drummer adding an intriguing spine. Interestingly, there’s also a side order of industrial electronics which add a rumbling layer of filth. The whole appeal of such collaborations is possibilities like these, the artists pushing their comfort zone to make something different and inspired. This results in a dark and fascinating record with plenty of appeal to their established audiences but it’s also something more – and that’s its real selling point.