THE BEAST

Absolon - A Portrait of Madness - Reviewed By allaroundmetal ! Check it out here at this link: https://www.allaroundmetal.com/component/content/article/26-releases/10209-absolon,-dopo-10-anni-un-disco-un-po-troppo-oscuro

Absolon come from Florida and formed back in 2012, releasing a first album in 2013 and then disappearing into thin air until 2022 when they released their second album, this "A portrait of madness", initially released only in digital format for by Dead Alien Productions in October and then released by Sliptrick Records in late February 2023 still digitally only; the disc will then be pressed on CD by Roxx Records at the end of March 2023. It is a concept album, set in 1920, on the story of the English soldier Randolph Bathery, who returned from the war with mental problems that led him to be locked up in a mental asylum from where, between depressions and evil possessions, he will eventually manage to escape. I had to listen to this record several times, given that Absolon's Prog/Power is rather difficult and not easy-listening at all; in this certainly the voice of the band leader Ken Pike does not help, rather low and with a particular intonation, warm but not very ringing. Therefore, if the sound is already quite dark and gloomy (consistent with the lyrics), the certainly expressive, but not very energetic voice of the singer makes listening even less simple. If we then add that the disc lasts almost 48 minutes for no less than fourteen tracks, some of which can be classified as mere fillers (I am referring above all to the final tracks of the album) or brief but useless instrumental interludes ("Into the darkness", "The demon waltz", "We drive you out" and "It is done"), you will understand why the final grade is not flattering. And it's a shame because there are some good ideas, such as in the long opener "This is my dream" or in the theatrical "Let me be", or in the gothic "The men in black robes", but they are limited to flashes, single episodes that fail to save the fate of the full-length. As mentioned, I listened to this record several times, hoping to find something that maybe had escaped previously, but boredom always peeped out very quickly and it was difficult to stay focused on the piece, precisely because it was not very captivating and convincing. Sorry, because the passion and ambition of this band is evident, but "A portrait of madness" fails to reach the sufficiency; for the future Absolon will need to streamline their sound a lot, in order to make it more direct and effective, so as to avoid the risk of being drowned by boredom. - allaroundmetal

Release Date: October 31, 2022

FFO: Queensryche, Judas Priest, Kamelot

Location: Beardstown, Illinois

Short Bio: Absolon is an exciting and dynamic heavy metal band founded by singer/songwriter Ken Pike. Combining NWOBHM and European metal with today's symphonic power metal, Absolon has managed to create a sound all their own, a sound which is new yet will be familiar with the metal community. Absolon has been heralded as a vanguard of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWTHM) and, since hitting the scene, has taken the metal world by storm. Not long after its conception in 2013, Absolon released their debut album;Darkness Rising: A Tale of Derek Blackheart to great fanfare and fantastic reviews here in the USA and abroad. A concept album, Darkness Rising was regularly compared to Queensryche's successful concept album Operation Mindcrime, both in scope and ambition. Fans of Queensryche will definitely hear the similarity, especially in the vocals of Ken Pike, who is a big Queensryche/Geoff Tate fan. On October 31, 2022, Absolon released their long-awaited follow-up to their debut album called; A Portrait of Madness. With an all-new set of players in tow, Absolon has produced yet another intricate concept piece, one which they believe surpasses the debut with stronger songs and an all-around better production.

Support the band on Bandcamp!

Ken Pike-vocals-USA
Marc Vanderberg-guitar/bass-Germany
Ryo Pike-keys/piano/synth/orchestration-USA

All songs and lyrics written by Ken Pike except for 1916, music by Ryo
Pike/melody and lyrics by Ken Pike
Into the Darkness/Out of the Darkness/The Demon Waltz/Drive You Out
composed by Ryo Pike
It Is Done composed by Marc Vanderberg
Recorded at Dark Skys Studio, Illinois
Guitars and bass recorded by Marc Vanderberg in Germany
Mixed/mastered by Thorsten Eligehausen at darkSIGNS Records-Germany
All rights reserved 2022 Dead Alien Entertainment

Follow the band at these links:

https://www.facebook.com/absolonrocks/
riotduk.wixsite.com/absolonrocks (official website)
absolon.bandcamp.com
soundcloud.com/absolonmetal/
epkbuilder.com/epks/absolon (EPK)