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Side By Side

    
       
       
       
     
             
Absolva are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 2012, releasing five studio albums and one live album/video, in a little over five years. The bands third album, 2015's 'Never A Good Day To Die' was a cracking display of absolutely everything that is great about the traditional sound of heavy metal. Absolva are one of a new breed of bands, along with the likes of Hamerex, Eliminator, Kaine, Amulet, Monument and Seven Sisters, that are gonna be carrying the flag of British heavy metal well into the future, long after the legends, such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon, have all finished etching their names into the history books. Absolva's 2017 double album 'Defiance', gave fans new material, live recordings and acoustic versions, and really began to cement the bands place in heavy metal history...    
             
...'Side By Side' will finally (and permanently) cement that place, elevating them into the upper echelons of the worldwide heavy metal scene. With twelve songs over an incredible sixty minutes play time, the bands new album is a weighty release, packed with a glorious array of melodic heavy metal, worthy of a place in any record collection, right alongside (the aforementioned) legends Maiden, Priest and Saxon. Bristling with energy and a fist pumping rhythm, 'Advocate Your Fate' kicks the album into life, totally traditional sounding and one hundred percent addictive. The glorious sound of the iconic NWOBHM evolution takes front and centre with the higher tempo 'Burning Star'. Rocking much harder than the opening salvo, 'Burning Star' is a classic "foot on the monitor" romp. And that is the vibe you feel for the rest of the album as it powers with the hard hitting and highly melodic 'The Sky's Your Limit'. With its catchy chant style chorus, 'The Sky's The Limit' is surely gonna become a fan favourite.    
             
Title song 'Side By Side' has a slower opening, projecting an air of mellowness, before it starts punching hard, lifting the tempo to become a heavy hitting yet melodic stomp. Absolva are delivering melodic heavy metal that deserves to be performed on the world stage... 'Side by Side' (the album) turning in a great performance. And with a sudden upsurge in pace, 'Living A Lie' fairly rockets out of the blocks and goes for a sprint, the head bangers of the world furiously nodding their heads back and forth. Turning the tone of the album way down, 'Legion' adopts a mid tempo anthemic march. Hitting with the impact of a wrecking ball, 'Legion' will leave you just a little bit bruised. Lifting the tone higher, 'Eternal Soul' comes at you out of the eighties heyday for the NWOBHM. Very much a classic "foot on the monitor" gallop, Absolva are not afraid to show you their roots - coming at you from arguably, the birthplace of heavy metal, the UK. There is a unique sound to British heavy metal, and Absolva are flying the flag, very high, and very proudly. 'End Of Days' is six minutes plus of epic atmosphere, chill, tension, and heavy hitting heavy metal to head bang to.    
             
Absolva have visited every corner of the traditional heavy metal genre, offering everything from epic to melodic, galloping to marching, and head bang able to foot stomp-able - is that even a word? maybe it should be spelt as it sounds; "stomp a bull"! Oh c'mon Mathew, what planet are you on? - planet "heavy fucking metal", with one of the best metal bands to emerge over the last decade. Picking up the pace once more, Absolva gallop hard with 'Heart Lets Go'. A fiery foray, 'Heart Lets Go' is one of the heaviest songs the album has to offer, and will provide fans a glorious opportunity to furiously head bang. The albums final (original) song, 'From This World' is a departure from what has gone before. More mellow and power ballad orientated, 'From This World' slowly builds the heaviness, stomping all the way to the end. The final two songs on offer are two covers, '2 Minutes To Midnight' by legends Iron Maiden from their 1984 album 'Powerslave', and 'Heaven And Hell' by icons Black Sabbath from their 1980 album 'Heaven And Hell'. Both covers stay true to the pace and feel of the originals, with 'Heaven And Hell' the better of the two.    
             
Overall, a glorious gallop of head bang able, "foot on the monitor" style, let's conquer the world heavy metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Defiance      
           
"pulsating heavy metal, steeped in the traditional British metal genre with buzzing guitars, great vocals and infectious rhythms, 'Defiance' is a great album" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
Never A Good Day To Die      
           
"catchy and addictive British heavy metal with blazing guitars and thundering rhythms to keep your head banging for a very long time" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
Fire In The Sky      
           
"an incredibly enjoyable album of fantastic heavy metal from a band very much at the top of their game" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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