{"id":633538,"date":"2026-08-12T17:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/633538\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T17:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:13:13","slug":"the-absolution-sequence-dread-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/633538\/","title":{"rendered":"The Absolution Sequence – Dread Cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Tasmania\u2014outside of their famous adorable screaming murder marsupials, I know basically nothing about the island. Recently, though, Tasmania\u2019s The Absolution Sequence <\/strong>seized and held my attention with everything surrounding their debut record, Dread Cycle. Sublime cover art by Tasmanian artist Shaun Hyatt<\/a>. Technical death metal that, according to promo, \u201cbalances high-velocity musical prowess with a deeply immersive, atmospheric undertone.\u201d But what\u2019s this? Three guitarists? Two drummers?! Is there any hope of hearing a bass guitar on this thing? How big is Dread Cycle really, and are The Absolution Sequence <\/strong>bad enough dudes to hold it all down? I had to know.<\/p>\n

To address The Absolution Sequence<\/strong>\u2019s qualifying trait as a tech-death band, I\u2019ll start by stating that Dread Cycle is quite the technical feat. TAS<\/strong>\u2019 three-pronged guitar attack of Stephen Cusato and Steven Mason on rhythm and Luke Tucker on lead deliver all the pressure-cooked heck you\u2019d expect of the sub-genre, spinning busy, knotted riffs that strike and pop at odd times and angles. Hear the gnarly riffage on \u201cThis Sordid Miasma\u201d and \u201cPromethean Pilferage\u201d and just soak it in. Rhythmically, drummers Nick Machin and Luke Sanderson deliver mechanically precise blasts and occasional Meshuggah <\/strong>kick-jank (\u201cGhost Mantra\u201d) while\u2014yes\u2014Alastair Boon\u2019s bass features prominently in arpeggiated leads [\u201cDespotic Ruin (Diet of Worms)\u201d] and popping and plucking beneath the riffs (\u201cDiary of the Emaciated\u201d). These dudes have chops for days, but somehow Dread Cycle is surprisingly reserved. Don\u2019t expect Archspire<\/strong>-scaled showy excess with The Absolution Sequence<\/strong>, as Dread Cycle is the kind of layered technical showcase that\u2019s more than happy to sneak up on you at times.<\/p>\n

What sticks out foremost about Dread Cycle is how atmospheric and big it sounds. The Absolution Sequence <\/strong>regularly build these tidal waves of dissonant, discordant chords that make for eerie, cataclysmic atmospheres. Tracks like \u201cThe Nightlight Sigil\u201d and \u201cA Mire Caked Nativity,\u201d even amidst it\u2019s deeply frenetic playing, absolutely ooze dense, dreary mood. These movements of cavernous density stand in nice contrast to the typical tech-death chops heard elsewhere, offering cuts like \u201cDespotic Ruin (Diet of Worms)\u201d greater dynamism and balancing out \u201cIdols of Confraternity\u201d\u2018s wicked fast runs and bludgeoning chugs with simpler, harmonically rich parts. It keeps the audience from growing desensitized to the chaos, as is oft to happen in tech-death. The Absolution Sequence <\/strong>simply sound more focused than a lot of their peers, and with that focus comes weight. Dread Cycle doesn\u2019t blow your mind through exceptional virtuosity but clobbers you with the enormity of its compositions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But never does The Absolution Sequence<\/strong>\u2019s technical ambitions or atmospheric inclinations ever detract from Dread Cycle\u2019s serious bite. Delivering a varied and hostile vox attack, lead vocalist Shawn Wells drives TAS <\/strong>onto a warpath. Through confrontational and nasty growls on \u201cGrinding the Sphere,\u201d pissed-off Archspire <\/strong>speed spitting on \u201cDiary of the Emaciated,\u201d and downright (Tasmanian) devilish rasps on \u201cIdols of Confraternity,\u201d Wells spells out Dread Cycle\u2019s ill-will in explicit terms. The rest of TAS <\/strong>match that vitriol. Their three guitarists are a restless unit, constantly finding new ways to layer airy leads over feverish riff-craft while the drumming on Dread Cycle never sacrifices punch for flair. This is tech-death of a distinctly modern bent, for sure, but there\u2019s a timeless, plain deathly meanness to Dread Cycle that makes it cathartically heavy as well as dazzingly impressive to behold.<\/p>\n

Dread Cycle is a true cyclone of aggression, but far more cogent and less slobbery than the one Tasmania is better known for. The Absolution Sequence <\/strong>found a distinct and deeply enjoyable brand of tech-death that stands out even in a crowded<\/a> year<\/a> for the sub-genre<\/a>. It\u2019s the kind of record that\u2019s just hard to find negative things to say about, and one that has steadily grown on me over the time I\u2019ve spent with it. Check out Dread Cycle if you like your shadowed treks through miasmatic realms of death thoroughly buckwild as well. You know I do.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Rating<\/strong>: Great
DR<\/strong>: 5 | Format Reviewed<\/strong>: 320 kbps MP3
Labels<\/strong>: Bleeding Art Collective<\/a> and Blood Blast Distribution<\/a>
Websites<\/strong>: theabsolutionsequence.bandcamp.com<\/a> | facebook.com\/theabsolutionsequence<\/a>
Releases Worldwide<\/strong>: August 18th, 2026<\/p>\n

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