The album was recorded during the summer of 2023 at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin.[2][5] Arthur Rizk, who previously worked with the thrash metal band Power Trip, produced the album.[2][5] The band stated in an interview that they hired an extra €9,000 worth of synth equipment to record the album.[2] Lead singer and guitarist Paul Riedl stated "Absolute Elsewhere is our most potent audial extract/musical trip yet; like the soundtrack to a Herzog-style sci-fi epic about the history of/battle for human consciousness itself, via a ’70s prog album played by a ’90s death metal band from the future.”[5][6]
On September 27, 2024, the band released "The Stargate", the first song on the album, accompanied by a short film directed by Michael Ragen and produced by Mindy Kelly.[7][8][6][9][10] The band are releasing a 73-minute documentary titled All Gates Open: In Search Of Absolute Elsewhere alongside the album.[9][11]
Musical style
The album has been described as death metal,[3][12] progressive metal,[3] and progressive rock.[3][12] The album consists of two tracks, both exceeding 20 minutes in length. Each track is divided into 3 sections, called "tablets".[3][10] The album is over 43 minutes long, making it the band's longest studio album to date.[11]
Reception
Absolute Elsewhere was received positively by critics. Don Lawsom of Metal Hammer gave it four and a half stars, stating "Blood Incantation's new album is two songs long. It's also pure prog-death perfection and one of the best metal albums of 2024."[3] Thomas Thrower of Ghost Cult magazine was also positive, awarding the album a score of 8/10 and stating "Absolute Elsewhere is a unique record, whose dense, thickly layered music and slightly indulgent running times are a bit off-putting. But persevere and you are rewarded with a richly woven prog death metal hybrid that is anything but boring."[12] Langdon Hickman of Treble magazine said "With Absolute Elsewhere, the group takes their place beside legends like Gorguts and Morbid Angel. Their sights are set even higher. I now have reason to believe they may achieve them."[4]
