Stavesacre is one of those bands I can't listen to very often. They're just too mesmerizing, putting me in a hypnotic trance of pure pleasure, so that I literally can't turn them off. When I originally heard their first album, Friction, I didn't care too much for it. As I gave it a few more spins, however, I was pulled in deeper and deeper, realizing that Stavesacre isn't music meant to be listened to casually. I'm still hearing new things from it every time. It stirs my emotions. And now I've got to deal with Absolutes! I wouldn't say there's much new ground broken here, just more of the same -- the same progressive heavy alterna-metal (a la Tool, Only Living Witness) combined with Mark Salomon's passion-drenched vocals (with a little more variety perhaps); and a fully textured mesh of massive rhythms and raging guitars pulled taut around a sometimes seething, sometimes serene, explosion of emotion! This is inspiring music and inspiring art, with lyrics you'd want to study and decipher so they can cut to your heart (if you can find the hidden lyric sheet). It's going to take me a while to absorb the personality of each song so I won't attempt any specifics here (But I love that military drumroll near the end of "Wither/Ascend." And the acoustic track--let's have more of that on the next one!). Just go buy the album and be mesmerized along with me. Yeah, boy.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
7ball #13Reviewed by Chris WellSome things in life are certain: We are in desperate need of salvation, and there is a sovereign Lord who offers life. While these ideas are hardly new to Christian rock, they are infused with fresh, poetic life on Absolutes, a dark and brilliant manifesto of Christian faith. With Stavesacre, though, you can be assured that, while their latest is a work of art, it is as if someone took the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Tony LaFianzaStavesacre delivers on their second cd a deep, hard-core blessing. The songwriting on this record is strong, profound, and musically kicks. These four veterans of the Christian hard-core scene form a supergroup with its own sound: Dirk Lemmenes on bass, Jeff Bellew on guitars, Sam West on drums, and Mark Solomon on throat. We all knew Mark could yell, but who knew he could actually sing? Mark…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Linc LefeisteWith Absolutes, Stavesacre's follow-up to Friction, Mark Solomon and company have once again put together a quality album. The production, handled again by Brian Carlstrom, and musicianship are superb, resulting in an album of great heavier alternative rock. My only complaint is that Absolutes isn't much of a change from Friction. With the exception of a beefed up drum sound (thanks to the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Mark J. AylorAbsolutes is my first experience of Stavesacre. The first couple times I listened to it, I was not impressed. It was very good alternative rock with a heavier edge, and the production was excellent. Otherwise, I didn't find anything special about it. What really turned me off was Mark Salomon's vocals--too nasal for my tastes. A lot of people I talked to really raved about Stavesacre, though, so…Similar sounding releases
2004DisengageApplication For An Afterlife
1998Project 86Project 86
2002SnapcaseEnd Transmission
2001The BlamedIsolated Incident
2002The Color RedClear
2002Home GrownKings Of PopMore from Stavesacre
2002Live From Deep Ellum
1999Speakeasy
1996Friction
2001Collective
2001Stavesacre / Denison Marrs
2002Stavesacre
