Lucis Absentia show a sound that mixes old-school thrash metal with elements of melodic death metal, progressive metal, and even a little black metal. Right from the very beginning, these guys play with the kind of energy that reminds me of why I got into extreme metal in the first place.
To The Depths, the band’s debut EP, is fast, brutal, melodic, and an absolute ripper. The opening/title track, “To The Depths,” sets the bar pretty high for speed, musicianship, and sheer intensity. The guitar-work reminds me of a mix between fellow Ohio-natives Skeletonwitch and The Black Dahlia Murder, with a mix of melody, speedy thrash riffs, and mind-bending technical prowess. The vocals do a great job of matching the ferocity of the riffs, with mid-range growls and high-pitched screams, that, again, remind me of TBDM. Another track that really shines out is “Chapel Of Stilled Voices,” which ups the ante on melody, taking it into a dark, black metal-tinged territory that sounds so awesomely evil I got goosebumps. “Colossus” also has some pretty memorable riffs that remind me of Testament, and is easily the most straight-forward thrash sounding track on the release.
The mixing and mastering on To The Depths is excellent; although emphasis is placed on the guitars (after all, the riffs tend to be the focal point of any decent thrash record) there are still plenty of drums and vocals in the mix, and the bass is loud enough to announce its presence without overpowering the tone with too much low-end. Lucis Absentia have crafted an absolute masterpiece of speedy brutality and melody with To The Depths, and will surely be a household name before too long.
