Year: 2026
Label: New Approach Records
The ever-amorphous, ever-unpredictable Absolute Key return with another album that sees them shift form. Experimentalism has always remained a core element of the Finnish one-man project, but within that loose context, they’ve explored a width of styles. From black metal to power electronics, and to even more abstract and experimental territories, the only true constant has been change.
This time around, the change does not appear so much in musical shape as in thematic concept. Earlier works have often tended towards esoteric, mystic and mysterious concepts. Here, Absolute Key get just about as real and concrete as one can, and focus on war.
War is, of course, by no means an unknown or rare theme in harsher strands of industrial. On the contrary: along with both criminal and sexual depravities, it is probably the most common. Which is actually something Factes Of War confronts on the track Rhythm Of War, which calls into question the hypocrisy of fetishizing idealizing of war within the genre.
Indeed, Absolute Key take a very different approach: “No more war” states the booklet. The abstract harsh noise and power electronics of Facets Of War in no way romanticizes; rather, it bears dismayed, dejected and disgusted witness to the continuing reality of war and its atrocities.
Purely musically, Factes Of War is not so different from its predecessor Ei meidän kotimme (review). Both are albums focusing on the harsh, industrial aspects of Absolute Key’s sound, forsaking both the black metal and the more abstract experimentalism.
In other words, Facets Of War builds its sound around crackling distortion, piercing feedback and the shrill whine of tortured electronics, static white noise and rumbling lower end. The entirely atonal soundscapes are, on a larger musical spectrum, harsh and abrasive; however, within the realm of industrial noise, Facets Of War is far from the most violent stuff. Instead, as on aforementioned Ei meidän kotimme, Absolute Key lets atmosphere take the wheel.
This time around, the atmospheres are, as already mentioned, replete with dejection, disappointment and the futile, desperate rage of those forced to witness the atrocities of war powerless to do anything about it. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza are mentioned in the booklet – the album is given further, lamentable justification by the war in Iran; another sad example of innocent people suffering for the greed of the powers that be.
The album builds atmosphere with the desolate military rhythm of percussion, with tortured metal that moans like the ruins after a bombardment, droning noise like the background din of war, and desperate, raging voices that unflinchingly lay bare the indefensible atrocities of war.
Facets Of War is a depressing album. Born from revulsion, disgustion and frustration, the emotions rub off on the listener. Hence, this is not a fun album to listen to, inasmuch as listening to industrial noise is fun in the first place. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good album.
On the contrary, though Facets Of War is not a fun listen, the honesty and strength of its emotions makes for convincing and relatable listening. Purely qualitatively, it very closely equals Ei meidän kotimme. And, being in the same ballpark of sound if not atmosphere, can safely be recommended to anyone who liked its atmospheric but noisy industrial. And though atmospherically very different, just as potent in that department as well.
Only Death Is Real 