Just a few weeks ago in mid-August, Tacoma, Washington natives Aethereus finally released their critically praised new album Absentia through The Artisan Era that was years in the making. The group's take on progressive death metal deftly combines elements of atmospheric death metal, ferocious technical death metal, and more overtly melodic death metal focused ends of the spectrum into a sound all their own. Aethereus cites influences ranging from Obscura, Spawn of Possession, Cynic, and Gorod which rightly shows in the ambitious and smartly crafted songs found on Absentia.

The band has premiered a dual guitar and bass playthrough video for “Cascades Of Light”.

Guitarist Kyle Chapman comments on the release of Absentia: “Work on Absentia started back in January of 2016 shortly after the release of Ego Futurus. Shaun and Kyle had already been working on mapping out new songs and developing potential lyrical concepts. However, because of Shaun’s untimely passing, the album became something completely different. It went from a sort of weird self-indulgent sci-fi story to be about depression and loss, becoming both a point of frustration and catharsis. Absentia is loosely structured around the Kübler-Ross Five Stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance). Musically, lyrically, and conceptually, the album follows the stages of grief and describes the experience of losing a loved one and the lasting impact that person’s absence has on an individual, a group, and life as a whole. It begins in a chaotic and bombastic manner, goes into some somber places, but ultimately ends on a somewhat hopeful note."

Order the album via Bandcamp, or The Artisan Era.

Tracklisting:

"Cascades Of Light":

“The Pale Beast” lyric video: