Absconder- Demo 2011

Absconder is a four piece death metal band from Illinois. The band formed in 2009 and this is their first release. One of the first things that is noticeable about the band is that it features the legendary Brad Buldak (from death metal gods Morgue) on bass and vocals. Luckily for Absconder this isn't the only good thing about the band, they also happen to play some badass death metal.

The first thing that will attract attention is the booming sound. The guitar tone is very thick and the bass is high in the mix, making this a very heavy unrelenting listen. The tone fits like a glove with the grim sound that is dealt and creates an atmosphere so raw that you can almost smell the stench of flesh when listening. The fretwork featured here is fairly simple. The focus remains on heavy rhythm and a great riffs throughout. The one thing that could make the band a bit more appealing in this department is cranking up the volume a little during the solos. It seems at times during a solo the playing gets drowned out by all of the other sounds.

Absconder definitely doesn't allow the listener a chance to breathe throughout the demo. Whether they are pounding you with a groove or shredding you face off there is always something to keep you interested. Not a dull moment occurs and just when it seems like the quality might be waning the track "Opportunistic Infection" hits. The track features that balls out "death n' roll" sound that so many bands fail horribly attempting to create, but in Absconder's case it works, and proves to be one of the highlights of the release. Another key factor on this demo is the length. It clocks in at just under twenty minutes. This gives the listener just enough time to process what the band is all about. After all is said and done it definitely leaves a nice string of drool dangling off the listeners lip. Until then you'll just have to wait and play this over and over until Absconder decides to churn out another release.

Overall this demo will slay everyone that crosses it's path, plain and simple. If there is one thing you can get out of this release it is the knowledge that Absconder will prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Don't go into this expecting Morgue, because this is a much more straightforward project. Fans of being beaten to the point at which their recognizable features turn to mush should enjoy this demo.