ALBUM REVIEW: Side By Side – Absolva
Formed from members of ICED EARTH and BLAZE BAYLEY‘s live band – and out of the ashes of FURY UK – Manchester’s ABSOLVA have been keeping the flame for classic metal lit over the past decade well. Their pedigree from honing their talents through their previous bands and status amongst those who love the twin-lead guitar attack of yesteryear is highly regarded and today sees their new album Side By Side unleashed onto the world, their fifth studio effort and brought out via Rocksector Records.
It’s well-known that there isn’t much deviation one can produce when playing metal closely associated with the NWOBHM movement of the 1980’s, even in modern times, so ABSOLVA aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel with Side By Side. However, they likely weren’t intending to, instead heading for a shiny, new version to come off the production line with a fresh, 21st century edge and modern production. On both points they’ve succeeded; front man Chris Appleton produced the album at the main Rocksector HQ and it sounds excellent, finely balanced to allow all instruments their time in the spotlight without ever fading them too far into the background. Given their experience elsewhere, it’s not surprising that there are elements of those former outfits all over this album – The Sky’s Your Limit could have easily featured on either of the records that Blaze Bayley recorded when he was in IRON MAIDEN and adds a shade of prog in for good measure that evokes images of MAGNUM. Likewise, Legion has a big throwback feel akin to OZZY OSBOURNE‘s solo efforts and the guitar work between Appleton and his brother Luke is exemplary; the solos are crisp and well executed and the two, as one would expect from siblings, trade off each other with such ease and professionalism. Their wizardry is vital in opening song Advocate Your Fate and the title track, allowing them to sparkle where they might have had less impact.
Why less impact, you might ask? Well, as mentioned above, there isn’t a lot of leg room to develop such a well-trodden and seminal sound, and in that sense a fair amount of Side By Side is very formulaic in terms of song structure and style. It’s not something that hasn’t been heard before, despite the good delivery, and this leads to the inevitable question of ‘Why would I listen to this when it’s been done so much better beforehand?’. ABSOLVA, unfortunately, don’t provide an answer to this, with large sections of the album sliding into that groove and not pushing to break free. There’s also a blip with Heart Lets Go, the rather cringe-worthy lyrics in the chorus derailing the rest of the song impressively and, whilst his voice works in general, Chris Appleton is neither Bruce Dickinson or Ronnie James Dio, which means the bonus covers of MAIDEN‘s 2 Minutes to Midnight and BLACK SABBATH‘s Heaven and Hell barely get off the ground as they falter through his inability to really project and hammer home the lyrics.
Nobody who listens to metal got into the music through someone like CRADLE OF FILTH – it’s the classic bands that provide that gateway still and, for that reason, there will always be a place in the genre for a group like ABSOLVA. Without the possibility of being totally original, Side By Side needed to be an album of power and panache, but unfortunately it slips into NWOBHM-by-numbers too much for it to truly stand out.
Rating: 6/10
Side By Side is out now via Rocksector Records.
Like ABSOLVA on Facebook.