"..."In Absence", the debut EP from Hespera, was written by guitarists Cole Martinez and Matt Silac, who you most likely aren’t familiar with (although Martinez has done some production work for Whitechapel, Aborted and System Divide)… but it sure sounds a whole lot like Soilwork! A big part of that is because the vocalist on the record is none other than Björn “Speed” Strid himself. Would we be referencing Soilwork if Strid wasn’t singing here? Hard to know, although I’d venture to say “yes” — the music on its own its that good. Speed sounds great here, as does the band, and the result is very, very Soilwork-y.
....If all of the above seems like a knock, please don’t take it that way: we’re digging the absolute ever-loving crap out of In Absence!"
- Metal Sucks
www.metalsucks.net/2018/07/23/track-premiere-hespera-remnants-of-existence-feat-bjorn-speed-strid-of-soilwork/
"Melodic death fans that get a whiff of this one are going to be instantly hooked – the musicianship is nothing short of top notch and the combination of catchy and aggressive is utilized to the fullest. A band to keep your eyes and ears on as they continue to evolve, and a complete no-brainer purchase..."
- Dead Rhetoric
deadrhetoric.com/reviews/hespera-in-absence-seeing-red-records/
"Hespera recently dropped their debut EP In Absence and we're premiering the music video for "Solace In Solitude" today. It's a pretty slick looking video, though when you've got music like that, it's hard to find anything negative to say.
Grab In Absence. You need it."
- Metal Injection
www.metalinjection.net/video/soilwork-vocalist-ex-drummer-reunite-in-hespera-new-song-solace-in-solitude-out-now
"Hespera is about melodic death metal, quite good melodic death metal I have to say. An important asset of the release is the songs that are all of high quality. The really aggressive opener ‘”Solace in Solitude’ speaks a clear language. This EP is not meant to take prisoners. These songs are very well-crafted melodic death metal tracks that belong to the best I have heard for quite a while."
- Markus' Heavy Music Blog
markusheavymusicblog.org/2018/08/12/cd-review-hespera-in-absence-ep/
"So let’s set it clear. Yes, it does sound a lot like Soilwork. So what if it sounds like Soilwork? Soilwork fans have a golden season ahead. This release, some new material of Soilwork… And “Natural Born Chaos” has grown iconic through the years. So when brought with quality it is certainly not a problem to see more of that. And the quality is on board, not only by the direct Soilwork imput, but also by the guitarists who give a bunch of interesting riffs and well composed songs."
- Tempelores
tempelores.com?p=21354
released August 31, 2018
Björn “Speed” Strid - vocals
Cole Martinez - guitar/synth
Matt Silac - guitar/synth
Andrew Lenthe - bass
All Drums performed and recorded by Dirk Verbeuren
Recorded Jan-Dec 2016 @ Conquistador Studio Cleveland, Ohio
Mastered @ Hewwetover Studio, Netherlands
Solo on “In Absence” and “Absolved” by Michael Wilson
Logo design by Christopher Horst of
Horst Type Foundry
Horst-Art.com
Album Art and Design by J Meyers of
New Ethic Design
darkartandcraft.com
Special thanks to Thomas of Seeing Red Records, Redefining Darkness Records, and Reaper Metal Productions, to all of our friends and family, and to anyone we forgot cheers!
2017 Hespera