It's clear that everyone knows playing Metal in some countries can be a very difficult thing to do, because political views mixed with conservative/religious ways is a very dangerous mix. There are places where playing Metal can bring the musicians to jail, or even can be sentenced to death. Remember what happened to the Iranian acts CONFESS on 2016 and ARSAME on 2020 for playing Death Metal. So the work of this Syrian band (that is now living on Germany) ABSENTATION shown on "Reflections" is a matter of love and courage.

The duet plays a form of Death Metal that mixed elements from the older forms of the 90's with some features of modern days. So be prepared to have a brutal and oppressive work full of energy, but at the same time, the fans will hear that their instrumental work lies under a very good technical insight (some broken rhythms can be heard clearly on "Reflections", maybe a clear influence of PESTILENCE on "Spheres" days) to temper the brutality of their songs. Of course this formula isn't new at all, but things work in a very good way in their hands, indeed. The production is the weak spot of "Reflections": the things are sounding defined and aggressive, as a Death Metal album must bear. But in the whole outfit of the sonority, and the tunes used on the drums seems like a drum machine, what brings a 'mechanical' feeling to the album. It's a good sonority, but not what the band needs to its songs.

The album, musically speaking, is a fine piece of brutal music, what mean that Death metal fans that aren't aware for details will like the songs a lot. But the ones as "Reflections" (some Groove Metal elements can be heard, along with a very good technical work of drums and bass guitar), "Betrayal" (an extreme fast song, but with some parts and arrangements full of Death Metal hooks, especially on the guitar riffs), "Abandonity" (introduced by fine melodic clean arrangements, soon explodes in aggressiveness and brutality, with another very good work of the guitars), "Lucid Eyes" (charming grunts in the middle of brutality, tempered by a set of Death Metal hooks), and "Bliss My Suicide" (a song filled with many transitions and different set of tempos, creating charming contrasts) are the named 'best ones' for a first ride in this album.

ABSENTATION is a very good name in Death Metal, with a different view of the genre. And it means that "Reflections" can bring a different flavor for the fans.