Absence Of The Sacred - IV: The Hand That Wounds (ALBUM REVIEW)
Released independently on August 17th, 2024
The Singaporean extreme metal scene is one that I firmly believe to not be talked about enough, let alone be appreciated. This small, rather obscure part of the world is home to some of the most hard-hitting bands, among those being Impiety, Infernal Execrator, Vrykolakas, and today’s featured Absence of the Sacred.
Founded by Mia Priest in 2006, the band had a good six-year run with three full-length releases - all of them were met with well-received in the region; after which focused was shifted by Mia to other endeavors, including a black/crust project Blood Division as well as a thrash band founded in Cambodia Nightmare A.D. After 12 years of no release, Absence of the Sacred has broken its silence with its fourth full-length offering: The Hand That Wounds - now with ambiguous vitriol done away and a far blunter fury aimed at this very dystopian world fueled by the frontlady’s haunting experiences throughout her life.
Contemporary social commentary has long been a favorite among the genres more on-the-nose and in-your-face: I am referring to, of course, death metal and thrash metal. To be favored is one thing, to be thematically and lyrically good is an entirely different thing, however. For the case of Absence of the Sacred, the comeback full-length release is one that walks gracefully between furious condemnation and lyricism that carries poetic qualities: much of its lyrical content can be traced to modern cultural references and conspiracy theories, most notably the X-Files homage for the opener, the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, and forced isolation across the globe at the beginning of this decade.
Musically speaking, “The Hand That Wounds” also marks a departure from the sound of previous albums, opting for a more groovy approach with traces of blackened death metal laced in it. Heavy, chunky riffs laid down in this album are backed by bombastic drumming from the part of renowned Kevin Paradis. Theatrical elements are also utilized in “The Hand That Wounds”, with passages made of spoken words, melodic interludes, and singing that is choral in essence; adding to the versatility across the short but undeniably sweet 26 minutes runtime.
Overall, Absence of the Sacred’s return is marked by a full-length offering that verily encapsulates a good decade plus two years’ worth of maturity and sentimental development: “The Hand That Wounds” is a musical piece that hits hard with its fury and anger at this dragged corpse of a modern world as well as mournful lamentation towards the rapid deterioration of the human condition.