When we take into consideration bands that manage to encapsulate the very realms of unparalleled heaviness alongside bone-chilling atmospheres that make the very visions of reality pale in the face of such overwhelming nihilism, there certainly are a few names that come to mind almost immediately. Whether it be Amenra or Neurosis or another such name, when it’s done right it is always the exact sort of material that shakes the very foundations of the world. Such power and contrast is a difficult thing to achieve in every regard, yet the prospect of more of it is always tantalizing for those of us looking in from the outside as we wait for a new offering that can scratch that itch as such relief comes around a couple of times a year at the very most. With the rising of Absent In Body out of the abyss, however, we’re able to witness the start of something that cannot be considered anything less than monolithic.

Even just a little bit of background into the members behind Absent In Body should excite any fan of this breed of music in a heartbeat. Featuring members from both the aforementioned Amenra and Neurosis, Absent In Body also flaunts the inclusion of Sepultura’s former drummer, Igor Cavalera, which already makes for a wild line-up that is all but demanding in the very power that it promises right out of the gate. Already, Absent In Body is set up for true glory of a dark breed the likes of which makes one shake in anticipation with the reality of the band’s debut album, “Plague God”, more than living up to any level of hype set before it as well as achieving more outside of that. This is the exact sort of record that one is made to fall into whole-heartedly as the darkness envelops your very entirety with the creatures that dwell within such obscurity always swirling around you, constantly teasing at the very edges of your consciousness with Absent In Body all but the perfect vessel to deliver a performance that’s able to seamlessly shift from drifting throughout the black ether to a true barrage of catharsis of primal proportions that are downright liberating in virtually every sense. That’s not even talking even a little about the musical prowess that is on full display for the very whole of “Plague God” with each and every member in top form for this debut to truly go above and beyond as an effort that doesn’t only feel like a true embodiment of what just a sliver of what the infinite abyss is capable of, but a creation that feels deeply personal and cathartic for Absent In Body with just listening to their craft offering a shade of that excellence with such flavor and wonder that it becomes all but a wonder that demands to be heard.

Across the five tracks and 36-minutes that are to be heard within this debut, it goes more than without saying that Absent In Body more than lives up to its promise as a true tour-de-force of power and entity that must be heard for all that it offers to the mind and soul. This is a debut the likes of which that many of us have been needing so much more of in our lives with the very world of sludge, doom, and its contemporaries sure to take immense note of all that Absent In Body has achieved with “Plague God” as it’s an effort that simply must be heard no matter what for any fan of the genre with a follow-up not coming out soon enough.

“Plague God” releases on March 25th via Relapse Records!

LISTEN to singles from “Plague God” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Absent In Body on Facebook here.