Album Review: Misery Signals - 'Absent Light'

Game Of Thrones, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wisconsin based Misery Signals are three indicators there may actually be a higher being guiding the human race onto greater things. A big call, but perhaps not an excessive one.  'Absent Light' marks the band's fourth full-length release and first to be funded by their fans through Indiegogo.

What 'Absent Light' was going to sound like was always up for speculation. The group themselves described it as the sum efforts of all their previous releases. For an initial listen, it has the aggression of Malice, the technicality of Mirrors rounded out with the consistency of Controller. The departure of guitarist and founding member Stuart Ross was always going to be concern, but thankfully all doubt is laid to rest and then some by the time the first track draws to a close.

There are several things you should not expect from a Misery Signals album. There are no pit calls, cheesy song titles, no ridiculously low tunings and a minimum amount of breakdowns. What you can expect is pure musical ecstasy, an intelligently written collection of songs that warrant multiple listens and will reward the adventurous. The tracks have a darker edge than anything we have heard before with a significant increase in orchestral sections.

Recalling the album in its entirety is like trying to write a 100-word essay on one of the Lord Of The Rings films.  'A Glimmer Of Hope' is outstanding, it has been a very long time since we've heard such a sincere emotional song. 'Shadows and Depth' has one of the biggest stoner riffs that will ignite vigorous head banging, while Departure's time signatures and pace will appease the fans of the heavier side of the band.

The album is well balanced. Expect the heavy moments to be leveled out with the serene as the songs build into an epic finale. One actually can't encourage you enough to go out and buy this record upon its release, show the band they still have a large enough fan base in Australia to warrant a tour, perhaps with Sydney's favourite sons Northlane?

Album of the year.

1. A Glimmer of Hope
2. Luminary
3. Reborn (An Execution)
4. Carrier
5. Shadows and Depth
6. Lost Relics
7. Two Solitudes
8. Departure
9. The Shallows
10. Ursa Minor
11. Everything Will Rust.