Album Review: Absolva - Justice (2025, Rocksector Records)

Written: 10th May 2025

Since 2012, Manchester’s Absolva have been known for their blend of hard rock hooks and melodic metal bite. Carving a reputation as one of the hardest-working bands in the UK, their music often explores themes of strength, self-discovery and moral clarity. Their seventh album, Justice – inspired by the blockbuster movie Tombstone and its gritty Western themes – is no exception.

Following an extremely brief Western-tinged guitar lick, opening track Freedom and Glory – featuring guest vocalist David Marcelis of Lord Volture and Thorium – wastes no time diving straight into the main riff, with Martin McNee’s rapid-fire drumming and Karl Schramm’s bass lines redolent of an Iron Maiden-style gallop. Absolva have always been a band that make great use of energy while considering the effect that varying tempos can have. The heads-down salvo of the verses sits well against the slightly slower pace of the choruses. Lyrically, the track critiques the cyclical nature of war. Drawing parallels with Tombstone, it mirrors the lawlessness and the personal cost of violent loyalty. Generals and politics will have their say / Filling your head full of lies / Life blood & passion laid on the ground / Compromise orders defy. A powerful opening statement from the band, Freedom and Glory – complete with a breakneck guitar solo – sets out to firmly grab the listener from the first moment.

The Thrill of the Chase finds Chris Appleton on lead vocals and has the atmosphere of old-school classic rock. Slightly less aggressive in approach than Freedom and Glory, but still with enough zest to maintain our interest, the melodic side of the band comes more to the fore. Continuing to examine the themes inspired by Tombstone, the lyrics suggest a character addicted to risk, much like Doc Holliday or Wyatt Earp, who are driven by danger and personal codes. And I know the thrill of the chase is what / Keeps me alive / the rush of the blood running through my veins oh / And it’s true, time is on my side / This life keeps me alive / The beating of my heart oh / For the thrill / For the thrill of the chase.

Against the Odds of Time follows the oft-used tradition of having a slower song third in the running order. The introduction begins with more reflective guitar and a lamenting vocal – from another guest vocalist: Stu Block, formerly of Iced Earth – that focuses on redemption, loss and the search for reconciliation. The questioning lyrics portray the protagonist not as invincible but as flawed and desperate to atone before it is too late. On this cold dark night I stare on through my window / Contemplating all the things I said and did to hurt you / I wish I could go back to change those moments with you / But my wings are broken my eyes are blind I cannot see the light. As the track progresses, the drama, intensity and tempo all increase during the choruses, which allow for the balance between the introspection of the verses. There are some lovely harmonies during parts of the choruses that add to the feeling of brotherhood woven into the track. A central instrumental section – containing a short but obvious nod to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song – adds a different layer to the track while the finale ramps up the tension with twin guitars ablaze.

Waves crash and birds sing as Hero in Your Life begins. One of the most straightforward tracks on the album, it sits comfortably within a melodic hard rock vein. Once again illustrating that the band are able to bring different auras to the album, the simplicity of the song should not be taken for weakness. Four tracks in, and Absolva have shown they are comfortable including a range of sounds on their album, meaning we are able to enjoy different aspects of their instrumental choices. A “woah-woah-woah” section towards the end of the track could no doubt become a great moment in the live arena.

The title track once again features David Marcelis on vocals, and it returns to the galloping, attacking feel of Freedom and Glory. In many ways the centrepiece of the album, it delves into Tombstone’s central theme of law versus chaos. Lyrics recount a climactic showdown: the fabled gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Capturing the finality of Western justice, it is unflinching in its portrayal of vengeance and heroism – where killing becomes a form of righteousness. Making use of a spoken word section, a pair of excellent guitar solos – one cathartic, one blistering – and some crunching riffs, it stakes its claim as one of the best tracks on the album. Loyalty and bravery / Tombstone under new law / Barren land avenge our man / Facing down on the floor / Dawn of the morning only one walks away.

The second half of the album begins with Find My Identity, featuring the ever-reliable Ronnie Romero who contributes a superb vocal. With a more groove-laden feel in places, its infectious hooks are memorable and the chorus bristles with a swaggering confidence that sits in clever juxtaposition to the fragile, existential lyrics, making the whole thing a fascinating dichotomy. I never thought I’d seek for my identity / I guess the patient is just me / Now hold me close now hold me tight / Deliver us now from the night. The City Is Burning opens with throbbing bass before the rest of the band join, staccato riffs adding to the sense of urgency. There are some subtle touches throughout Justice that add interesting details to different tracks. On The City Is Burning, these include the short guitar solos just before each verse and Chris Appleton’s choice of notes for his vocal melody at 2:29.

Just for the briefest of moments, eighth track Atlas (War Between the Gods) transports us to the atmospheres of a Rotting Christ song with the mysterious, Greek spoken word introduction. Pólemos metaxý ton theón (in English, War between the gods). Lyrically, the song continues in this vein and Atlas becomes a figure of eternal burden, which reflects Wyatt Earp bearing the weight of justice in a crumbling moral landscape. Rise up horizon a war between the gods / Fallen forgotten a battle the titan lost. Absolva’s relationship with Blaze Bayley has been well documented and here, his distinctive vocals add a gravitas to the mid-tempo song that helps carry the subject matter.

Penultimate track Left Behind has the feel of a mini-epic and shows how Absolva give thought to how introductions build. Layers of harmonies and instrumentation help illustrate the quiet dignity of acceptance of fate that is highlighted in the lyrics. Seeing all the world through your own eyes / We are all the same not black and white / Now is this how it was meant to be / I must accept my own reality / Must be it must be. The duelling solos from the Appleton brothers are well structured and add to, rather than dominate, the song. This leads us towards the final track, The Street Fighters of Blackford Bridge. Named after a location near to Absolva’s hometown, the violence within is not glamourised. It is grim and close to home. Hope persists in the shape of ‘honest men’ that reinforces the album’s core message that justice is born in defiance and solidarity. It brings something of everything that Justice has offered thus far, and the band’s rebellious rhythmic charge refuses to fade. Bookending the album’s fiery start, it bows out with undeniable style.

Photo credit: Stanislav Paulovic

With Justice, Absolva have delivered a solid and engaging album that blends each of the elements of their established sound. The themes of defiance, identity and moral conviction are explored across a varied track list that moves confidently between hard-charging riffs, melodic choruses and introspective moments. Each guest vocalist adds something unique to the album, but that should not overshadow the vocal work of Chris Appleton, which is more than competent. With a range of energy and atmospheres, it showcases their technical abilities and emotional depth. A bold and assured release that reinforces Absolva’s standing in modern British metal.

Justice is released on 16th May 2025.

Pre-order the album here: https://absolva.bigcartel.com/