ABSOLUTE DARKNESS were formed in 2016 and they are from San Francisco, California. The Death and Thrash Metal outfit release their third full-length album. "Failure Of State" was mixed and mastered by William Blackmon (GADGET; KALIYA) at The Overlook in Sweden. It has a length of approximately 49 minutes, and it is an independent release.

The album starts strongly, with the a grim instrumental introduction to "Rounded Up" before transitioning into a fast track with aggressive and tight, Thrash Metal inspired guitar riffing. The vocals are deep lying growls with hardly any tonal shifts. The drumming includes a lot of double-bass, especially during the mid-tempo parts of the track. The lead guitar solo is very contributing, but what sticks in mind is the traditional Thrash riffing that drives the song forward. "Rounded Up" is a very good opener and sets the scene for the album. "Mob Rule" continues with the Thrash Metal assault at fast pace. It is a catchy approach to Thrash Metal with simple and direct guitar riffing and almost anthemic choruses. Most likely, it will become a great live song and a fan favorite. Highlights are both extended lead guitar solos, in particular the second one near the end of the track. "Mob Rule" is the official video release, and the YouTube link is given below.

"Sanity Is Gone" is a mid-tempo track with a bit more complexity added to the chorus parts. While the verse parts are driven by the direct and powerful riffing, the chorus parts are extended with more complex riffing and melodies. The lead guitar solo is relatively short, and the drumming includes again a lot of double-bass drumming. "My Forever Rule" is a dark song with grim melodies mainly at mid-tempo. The drums drive the song forward with a double-bass assault and with a few blast-beats in between. There are a few tempo and rhythm breaks throughout the track, and the lead guitar melodies have a few oriental vibes. "Failure Of State" is another mid-tempo banger with powerful guitar riffing and a few switches in rhythm, although it cannot quite keep up with most songs on the album. "My Assasination" continues with the melodic theme of "Failure Of State" in principle, but it has a bit more aggression in the guitar riffing and a few more tempo and rhythm changes including a few faster parts. The lead guitar solo is here the highlight of the track. "My Assasination" sounds a bit unfinished to me including the fading out at the end of the track.

While the middle part of the album sounds a bit tenacious with a few songs sounding pretty similar, "The Republic" sounds fresher and more dynamic. It is a mid-tempo song, and the riffing has more aggression and is more direct. Together with the relentless double-bass drumming, it provides a good foundation for an aggressive Thrash song. The vocals have higher pitched background support which fits perfectly in and provides a much-needed versatility to the vocals. "Unite!" raises the pace and continues with powerful and direct riffing. The melodies are grim and almost a bit doom-laden. "Unite!" lives from the simplicity in riffing and drumming and it is a bit of the opposite approach to the more playful songs like "Failure Of State" or "My Assasination".

"Chaos Unleashed" starts fast and transitions then into a mid-tempo track with a sluggish rhythm for the verse parts. The chorus parts are fast with plenty of double-bass drumming and the changes between verse and chorus parts are almost seamless and abrupt. The riffing is simple and direct and so is the lead guitar solo. "Mad King" continues with the fast transitions between fast and mid-tempo parts. The melodic theme is again oriental inspired as many songs on the album. The main feature of "Mad King" are the many switches in tempo and rhythm. The drumming on this song is clearly the highlight, although the track could and should have been a bit shorter than the almost six minutes playing time. The album finishes with "On My Way To Death" and it is another mid-tempo track with the melodies sounding too familiar with those on many songs on the album. Highlight of the track is the lead guitar solo, but apart from that, "On My Way To Death" is surely not a great final to the album.

ABSOLUTE DARKNESS deliver a good Thrash Metal album. It is a modern Thrash Metal album with traditional elements in the guitar riffing. The strengths of "Failure Of State" are the lead guitars and the drumming. The vocals offer little versatility, but they fit very well to the sound. The album has a strong start, but cannot really keep up with that level as a few songs sound very similar. The album is well produced. Thrash Metal fans will dig "Failure Of State" and will look forward to the new songs being played live.