THE ABSENCE ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR, ALBUM, AND RELEASES LYRIC VIFEO OF NEW SONG "THOUGHT AND MEMORY"
Having returned with a vengeance from an eight-year hiatus via their acclaimed comeback album "A Gift For The Obsessed", the Tampa, Florida-based melodic death metal powerhouse THE ABSENCE has announced its first tour in support of the record, which will see the group join forces with Exmortus and Hatchet for three weeks before headlining another week's worth of shows. A full list of the group's upcoming dates can be seen below.
Says vocalist Jamie Stewart, "We are beyond excited to hit the road with these great bands, and we are very much looking forward to unleashing our new songs live. It’s going to be sick!"
To celebrate their return to the road, the group has unveiled a new lyric video for their crushing song "Thought & Memory." According to Stewart, the track was inspired by Norse mythology. "Odin has two ravens – Huginn and Muninn, which loosely translate to thought (or spirit, in some cases) and memory, respectively," he says. "Each day, these ravens fly, soaring throughout the world, retrieving news from all over to keep Odin informed. It is said that he fears that the two ravens may never return, although he fears more for Muninn (memory/mind) than for Huginn (thought/spirit). There are various interpretations that can be taken – spiritual, magical, poetic – but what I did with the words thought and memory was to take them at their literal definition and apply them to an everyday existence. How can somebody truly use these to guide themselves in a positive direction? We have a million thoughts that run through our heads every single day, and we all have choices to make with them in mind. In these instances, one should uses the memories they have gained to separate what they think is right from what they know is wrong, no matter how hard that choice is. In reference to Odin fearing more the loss of memory over the loss of thought, one could see the possible detriment of a life devoid of memories."
Check out the “Thought & Memory” video, created by Rafael Ortega (Ayreon, Helsott, Sicocis), at this location: https://youtu.be/5vYqZRmPxVQ.
TOUR DATES:
7/5 Tampa, FL – Crowbar *
7/6 Atlanta, GA – 529 Bar ^
7/7 Spartanburg, SC – Ground Zero ^
7/8 Richmond, VA – Canal Club *
7/9 Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz *
7/10 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus ^
7/11 Palladium – Worcester, MA ^
7/12 Quebec City, QC – Source de la Martiniere ^
7/13 Toronto, ON – Hard Luck Bar ^
7/15 Joliet, IL – The Forge %
7/16 Minneapolis, MN – Lee’s Liquor Lounge %
7/17 Kansas City, MO – Riot Room %
7/18 Denver, CO – Roxy Theater ^
7/19 Salt Lake City, UT – Club X ^
7/21 Boise, ID – The Shredder ^
7/22 Seattle, WA – Club SUR ^
7/23 Portland, OR – Twilight Cafe & Bar ^
7/24 Oakland, CA – Metro Opera House ^
7/25 Fullerton, CA – Slidebar #
7/26 Mesa, AZ – Club Red +
7/27 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad +
7/28 El Paso, TX – Rockhouse Bar +
7/29 Dallas, TX – Reno's Chop Shop +
7/30 Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live +
7/31 Houston, TX – BFE Rock Club +
^ with Exmortus, Hatchet
* with Exmortus, Hatchet, Black Fast
% with Exmortus, Hatchet, Micawber
# with Thrown Into Exile, Goregang
+ with Goregang
