ONE WITH THE RIVERBED is a five-piece Post-Metal band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Since forming in 2017, the band has strived to push the boundaries of the genre by incorporating elements of Atmospheric Black Metal with ambient soundscapes, dissonant textures, and dynamic shifts. "Absence," the band's first full-length album following an EP in 2018, showcases these sonic progressions while exploring overarching themes of death and loss. Throughout the album, the band develops both lyrical and musical motifs to build cohesion and provide resolution. It is uncompromising in scope yet concise in delivery. The album contains five tracks.

"Thaw" leads off the album. It's an interesting sound. It takes a while to develop, but when it does, it sounds like a cross between Black Metal/Hardcore (mostly in the vocals), and Doom Metal. The sound drops towards the end with a brief ambient passage, then returns. "Carcass" begins with a more traditional Black Metal sound...raging vocals, a wall of guitars, and intense drumming. Again, the sound drops close to the half-way mark, with clean and solemn guitars, along with some feedback. The vocals go very low, and there is a despondent passage, leaving you gutted.

"Disembodied" is a shorter song with great intensity. A fuzzy bass line comes through as the guitars branch out to territories uncharted. It builds to a crescendo towards the end, adding layers of guitars. There is another ambient passage for just a moment, while a heavier passage takes the song to completion. "Sanctuary" is close to eight minutes in length. It begins with light and soft tones. The vocals are out of control and are juxtaposed against the easiness of the instruments. Heaviness comes in after the half-way mark, but those depressing tones continue. The riff makes a sharp change towards the end.

The near-15-minute "Phantom's Glance" closes the album. Following some ambient passages in the beginning, raging vocals take over along with some dissonance in the guitars. Approaching the half-way mark, the riff changes to more staccato tones with a thick and meaty bass line. Rain falls softly, further greying out your existence. Clean guitars pick up what's left of the song at around the 11-minute mark, then the depressing sound sucker punches you, doubling you over. Meaty bass notes take the song to completion.

Overall, I really liked the combination of various styles here. The despondent feelings are quite high, enveloping you like a cold, wet blanket on a chilly winter day. Wrapping you with the band's feelings of death and loss, you are mesmerized by the sterile melodies. It gets inside you, takes root and grows. A warning...do not listen to this if you are already sad, it might just tip you over the edge into darkness, and place that you can never return to. Desperately sad, but also intriguing, "Absence" will prove to be your final battle.