Absolva's 'Justice' - Album Review

There have always been up-and-coming UK-based traditional heavy metal bands following the genre's heyday - but in more recent times it seems that some of those acts are being allowed to get something of a foothold. Whilst relevant more to the rock rather than the metal scene, despite some crossover, I have spoken on this blog before about those new rock bands I followed during my teenage years which never got a foothold. No-one really seemed to care about new music during the late 2000s, and those bands crashed and burned, but in more recent years that, thankfully, seems to have changed. Lots of the current wave of UK-based hard rock bands are doing pretty well for themselves now - with bands like King King, Where Rivers Meet, and particularly Those Damn Crows really flying. The latter has just topped the UK album charts, so the British rock scene is certainly alive and well - with the metal scene also seeming pretty healthy. Whilst not on the level of those other bands mentioned, the Manchester-based four-piece Absolva are certainly making something of a name for themselves - even if they have been around in one form or another for many years at this point. The band which preceded Absolva, Fury UK, was actually around during that aforementioned late 2000s scene - and I think I first saw them in the late 2000s opening for Blaze Bayley (more on him later). I also saw them opening for Saxon and Iced Earth - and their link with the latter would essentially lead to Fury UK's downfall and Absolva's rise when Luke Appleton jumped ship. Despite having been aware of the band for a while, then, it was only a few years ago that I started to listen to Absolva properly. Speaking of Blaze, Absolva have acted as his backing band for a number of years at this point - so my first real experience of the band was backing Blaze in 2019. Unlike what has always happened since, Absolva did not open that show as themselves - but they did when I next saw Blaze live in 2021, and it was in the lead up to that show that I started to listen to the band properly. Whilst I have not heard all of Absolva's albums, I have picked up most of them at this point - and they are all solidly enjoyable. The band very much play British heavy metal without any real frills or theatre - with Chris Appleton's raspy yet melodic voice and his shredding guitar playing generally bringing everything together. I enjoyed 2022's Fire in the Sky (which I reviewed here) when it dropped - but I have to say that I have not listened much to the band more recently. They are a band that I will always keep up with now, though, so when their seventh album Justice was released back in May I picked it up - and was pleasantly surprised to find it a little different from what I was perhaps expecting. Justice is very much an Absolva album in that it is a British heavy metal release, but there seem to be some strong power metal elements included this time - which is welcome. The band have also pushed the boat out in terms of guest talent this time, too, with no less than four singers lending their talents to the album - with David Marcelis (Lord Volture; Thorium; Black Knight), Stu Block (Into Eternity; Iced Earth), Ronnie Romero (Lords of Black; Rainbow; The Ferrymen; Vandenberg; Michael Schenker Group; Elegant Weapons), and Blaze himself all contributing throughout.

This album features the band's long-standing line-up of the Appleton brothers on guitars, Karl Schramm on bass guitar, and Martin McNee on drums - although this will be Schramm's last album with the band as he left before it was released. Opening with a screaming, bluesy guitar lead, the album gets underway with the fast-paced Freedom & Glory - a high-octane piece which very much showcases that power metal influence mentioned. It is one of two songs which Marcelis contributes to, but he generally provides high-pitched, Rob Halford-esque screamed harmonies and interjections - with Chris taking the lead vocally as always. Chris has a great voice, so does not really need the help - but the banshee screams are welcome given the song's energy, and the verses in particular really romp along thanks to McNee's fast-paced double bass drumming and the crunchy riffing of the Appleton brothers. The chorus is a bit slower, going instead for a more anthemic, mid-paced vibe with sing-a-long vocal hooks and more of a bass-heavy feel. A bridge section does see Marcelis take the lead briefly, but generally he provides those big harmonies as mentioned - and the bridge then gives way to a shredded guitar solo. The barrelling track kicks the album off in fine fashion - and it is good to see Absolva sounding so vital. The Thrill of the Chase is a bit more typical of the band's core sound, and sees things slowed down somewhat - with the band instead going for a crunchy, mid-paced sound instead. Precise drumming keeps the song moving, whilst a melodic yet headbanging main riff is packed full of old-school heavy metal goodness. The verses are much more straight ahead, with crunching power chords the backing for Chris' vocals - although a simplified version of the song's main riff resurfaces here occasionally to add some power. Ringing chords and an Iron Maiden-esque guitar lead later form the basis of the chorus, which is another hook-fest thanks to Chris' ability to craft a snappy vocal hook. The vocal and guitar melodies fuse nicely here to create something anthemic - and the chorus guitar leads are later built on to create a busy guitar solo. Against the Odds of Time features Block, with Luke's former Iced Earth colleague really ripping it up here and delivering a great duel vocal with Chris. The song opens slowly, with clean guitar melodies - over which Block soon starts to sing. There are, likely deliberately, strong Iced Earth vibes throughout this song - with the clean melodies very reminiscent of that band's style, and when the rest of the band kick in there is a bit of an I Died for You feel in the contrast between the slower verses and the crunchier chorus. Block dominates vocally, but Chris sings alongside him during much of the song - and the two create a powerful duo, with Block unleashing the occasional bigger scream when needed. Constant guitar melodies go alongside this big vocal approach to keep the song moving - and there is a pretty folky guitar solo later on, too, which is packed full of heroic melodies.

Hero in Your Life opens with a big McNee drum barrage, with the track itself being another pretty meaty mid-paced rocker with trademark Iron Maiden-esque lead guitar harmonies and a strong groove throughout. The track feels less heavy than much of what has come on the album up to this point - and it is also very typical of the band's core sound from the past. There is little of that power metal edge this time - with the track having more of a classic rock strut thanks to the guitar leads and verses which have a good mix of shuffling power chords and crunchier moments. The band's older albums are packed full of songs such as this and, whilst I really like the heavy take on the band's core sound throughout this album, the hark back is welcome. The chorus has that classic Absolva rasp thanks to Chris' excellent vocal performance - whilst guitar leads add depth. These leads are later built upon in a big way during a hooky instrumental section. The title track follows, and it is the second and final track to feature Marcelis. Following a rousing spoken word intro, a flashy guitar riff kicks in - and the song soon takes off at speed. This is another piece with some strong power metal vibes throughout - and Marcelis is generally used in a similar manner to how he was during the opening song. He generally does not take the lead here, but instead often harmonises with Chris in a powerful way - adding the occasional power metal scream to give the song a real kick. The track is not as fast-paced as the opening song, though, and there is more of a grounded crunch this time. McNee still lays down plenty of double bass parts, but the riffing overall is a bit more Primal Fear in nature - showcasing the crunchier side of power metal. There is perhaps more of the band's core sound this time, then, which is also shown during a slightly more restrained solo section which builds slowly. Find My Identity features Romero and the crunchy mid-paced rocker acted as the album's main single. Despite some snappy guitar harmonies during the song's intro, this piece is much more traditionally Absolva than perhaps some of the other cuts have been. There is no fast-paced action this time - with the song very much being a mid-paced anthem with lots of hooks made for singing along with and some great headbanging riffs. The verses are a bit more spacious than is typical, too, with Chris' voice often filling the void between the guitar stabs - with Schramm's bass taking on more of a role. Chris tends to take the lead vocally, but there are moments where Romero takes over briefly - before both join forces for a chorus which is made to stick in the brain. It is an easy song to enjoy due to the grooves and this big chorus, and it is likely to be a song which becomes a real live favourite over the years. The City Is Burning is another more mid-paced track, but it reins in the heaviness quite a bit and instead goes for something more akin to late 1970s Judas Priest. There is less crunch this time, then, with the guitar riffing instead feeling a bit more organic - whilst harmony leads are used occasionally to add depth. Vocally the song feels a bit more restrained, too. Chris does not push himself here, instead going for a more organic approach - without the walls of harmonies or the use of higher-pitched screams as has often been the case elsewhere on the album. The song still feels weighty, but it deliberately seems to be going for a different sound.

Atlas (War Between the Gods) features Blaze, and in some ways it seems crazy that it has taken this long for him to turn up on an Absolva album. It was inevitable that it would happen eventually - and he does a great job here as would be expected. His voice is still in fine shape, and with Absolva backing him he has created some excellent recent albums. The song is not too different from the many which have filled his recent albums, then, albeit with him and Chris duetting this time. It is a crunchy mid-paced anthem with a lumbering, Teutonic riff driving everything - with plenty of space during the verses for Blaze's rumbling baritone to shake the speakers. Chris still manages to hold his own vocally despite Blaze's presence - and the chorus which features both of them sounds great thanks to their harmonies. It is another hooky chorus which easily sticks in the brain, too, and there is also another busy guitar solo section with lots of shredding. Penultimate number Left Behind is a bit different in so far as Luke sings it rather than Chris. It opens slowly, with some clean guitar melodies - but soon the track takes off in typical Absolva fashion. It is another pretty strong mid-paced rocker, with crunchy verses and some occasional dual guitar moments. I have not experienced Luke as a lead vocalist before, but I have to say that I am not sure that he is strong enough to lead a song like this. He has a pleasing voice, but he lacks his brother's power - meaning that the verses feel a little limp compared to what is typical for Absolva. There is some strong bass playing from Schramm here, though, with his bass cutting through the mix in a more obvious fashion - and I do like the chorus which sees the two brothers singing together. The song is certainly not a bad effort, but I am just not really convinced by Luke as a singer in a metal context - and it would have likely sounded better had Chris sung it as usual. The album then comes to a close with The Street Fighters of Blackford Bridge, an energetic mid-paced anthem with plenty crunch which returns to that Primal Fear-esque sound referenced earlier - albeit with much more of a bass drive. Whilst it is not as fast as some of the big anthems here, it remains a tough-sounding song that is filled with great heavy metal riffing and some straight ahead vocal melodies. There is less flash here than there has been during some of the songs on this album - and it feels like another song which is a bit of a hark back to the band's older work, despite there being plenty of heaviness here. Another decent chorus ensures that there is one last big hook to latch onto here - whilst the guitar solo section features lots of individual and unison runs from the Appleton brothers, filling the speakers one last time with shredded melodies before the album comes to a powerful close. Overall, then, Justice is another very enjoyable album from Absolva - and it may well be the band's best collection of songs yet. There is no real weak link here, and the power metal influences which are on display throughout help to shake things up. This album feels like a bit of a step up from what came before and the handful of guests also add to the enjoyment without ever getting in the way.

The album was released on 16th May 2025 via Rocksector Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Find My Identity.