*Comes with a black anti-static poly-lined inner sleeve and a self-adhesive plastic outer sleeve.
Includes unlimited streaming of The Absence
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 7 days
edition of 300
Purchasable with gift card
€25EURor more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Includes unlimited streaming of The Absence
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 7 days
Purchasable with gift card
€15EURor more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
*Comes with a black anti-static poly-lined inner sleeve and a self-adhesive plastic outer sleeve.
Includes unlimited streaming of The Absence
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 7 days
edition of 300
Purchasable with gift card
€30EURor more
about
The artwork of the album depicts a mannequin, an empty shell, shallow, with nothing to live for - to portray the feelings of loneliness and desperation that people who suffer from depression can feel. It was a visual representation of the darkness of depression and how consuming it can be. Globally, close to 800,000 people die from suicide every year. That’s one person every 40 seconds and 1.7% of global deaths in some countries this share is as high as 5%. Due to the stigma associated with suicide – and the fact that it is illegal in some countries – this figure is also likely to be an underestimate, with some suicides being classified as unintentional injuries. For every suicide, there are likely 20 other people making a suicide attempt (16 million!) and many more have serious thoughts of suicide. Millions of people suffer intense grief or are otherwise profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviors.
Some had worked hard and made good money but something was missing in their lives. Some felt ashamed of not being able to keep their ambitions in check and had no idea what they wanted in their future. All felt useless and empty, like a mannequin devoid of soul and purpose. They had suffered enough. The worries, the sadness, the betrayal - they had all caught up with them and they felt they had no choice but to take their own life. Before doing so, they wanted to leave something to be remembered by. They wanted to let the world know how they were feeling, and how glad they were that it would soon be over.
So, with a heavy heart, Ricardo sat down to write his own suicide letter, a soul's last chapter. But instead of expressing only his own thoughts, fuelled by the fact he was also passing through this immense darkness and emptiness phase, he also added stories of others’ suffering and tragedy letters - stories that reminded him of the inevitability of suffering and death. He adapted these stories with his own words and phrases, creating a unique piece of art - The Absence.
It all comes to the point where their suffering was too much to bear. All 7 deadly sins had overwhelmed them and they were suffocating, little by little. They had thought they could take it, but the weight of their despair just continued to build. They felt that their lives were a burden, an unbearable one. They had reached the stage where it was time for them to say goodbye. They were driven to their breaking point and felt like they were living a life of absences. Absences from Themselves, absences from joy, absences from life itself.
Ricardo's letter echoes in the hearts of the many who suffer from depression and other mental health issues, reminding us that mental health awareness should never be ignored. That without awareness, absences can become unbearable. Ricardo’s story is one of despair and sadness, but it’s also one of hope and awareness. Perhaps by learning from his story, by understanding the steps to suicide prevention, and by learning to spread kindness and compassion, we may help prevent other tragedies like the ones adapted into this art. The lyrics of this song serve to remind us to look out for the signs, to reach out and help those who need our assistance, and to never forget the power of love.
Musically saying, there’s a lot to point out in this special song. It starts out with a calm intro melody of Santur and Didgeridoo, representing the calmness that these people were waiting on the other side. Special kudos to Jason for interpreting the pain of these people through his voice so well.
The first Gregorian chant is a prayer for the dead - representing not only the perpetual light they were seeking but also the families and friends who were left behind and now were suffering from the unexpected loss. The second Gregorian chant was taken from a Pascal Mass where Lucifer represented light, casting off from the carnal and into the spiritual world, a place of eternal light.
The crazy double paradiddle after the second Chant that Estevan began is a metaphor for the cardiac beats that grow louder and louder as life slowly slips away. Carsten's orchestra together with Ricardo’s guitar and the bass solo of Linus compose the passage from the carnal to the spiritual, from our world to eternity. Throughout the entire song, the orchestra from Carsten provided an eerie yet beautiful atmosphere that silences the crowd. Finally, it all disconnected like a guitar cable being unplugged at the end.
“Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal on that fearful day, When the heavens and the earth shall be moved, When thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord: and let light perpetual shine upon them.”
lyrics
You wouldn't understand, nobody listened or cared
Please don't blame yourself but now my time has come
I am in an utter hopelessness
I can’t, I won't fight back
Have your coffee n' celebrate the birdsong
Sing the freedom, I'll finally break free
The torment is over and the agony is finally gone
I'm tired of pretending of being someone I'm not
I've felt like a burden to everyone and now I am no more
I hope not to wake up again
I am in charge
I can't, I won't fight back
Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna
In die illa tremenda
Quando caeli movendi sunt et terra
Dum veneris iudicare saeculum per ignem
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine
It feels bitter like the disappointments of my past
But I finally feel good as there's no turning back
I am shivering
I see the clouds are coming as I'm fading into the unknown
The yellow jacket has already started to embrace me
This is my last hope I can find peace
Flammas eius lucifer matutinus inveniat
Ille, inquam, lucifer, qui nescit occasum
Christus fillius tuus, qui regressus ab inferis
Humano generi serenus illuxit et tecum vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum
Amen
I can't wait for the absence of everything
I hope you find peace as I am no longer in pain
Life is just a dream and when we die we wake up
I already miss you, I'll be waiting for you on the other side
Smile remembering my smile
Call it eternity
Fabula acta est, plaudite!
credits
from The Absence,
released May 26, 2023
itSELF is:
Ricardo Falcon - Guitars
Estevan Furlan - Drums
Special guests:
Jarosław Niemiec - Santur
Alessandro Granato - Gregorian chants
Lyrics by Ricardo Falcon
Produced by Ricardo Falcon and Wieslawski Brothers
Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Hertz Studio*
*Except vocals - Recorded at Crawlspace Productions
Artwork by Bjorn Goosses
Symphonic Death Metal featuring members and ex-members of Psycroptic, Sinister, Belphegor, The Monolith Deathcult and Obscura also featuring several other guests from bands such as Suffocation and Ignea.
This is fantastic! Some seriously tasty brutal tech death, with absolutely crushing riffs, rhythm, and vocals.
The album's production and mixing is also perfect, it's very balanced and allows the music to shine through the brutality.
Highly, highly recommended! somethingsomething9
Absolutely crushing dissonant death metal!
With great production and tight performance from these meat sacks, this dark brutal dissonant masterpiece will be on my favorite list forever.
Don't pass up this album, trust me it's fuckin great!
9/10 ChrestusV
Old school Death Metal in its purest form. Thanks to Transcending Obscurity for this little gem. Found it on Bandcamp Friday. The clean singing part in „Rot of Ages“ is epic - i did not expecting this. Highly recommended for everyone who loves old school Death Metal! Sælzer Bub
