The Los Angeles stop of the Blood Incantation 2025 Absolute Else Tour was more than just another date—it was the climactic finale of their North American run and one of the most unforgettable metal shows of the year. On August 7, 2025, The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles’ Koreatown transformed into a cosmic gateway as the Denver quartet delivered a marathon performance that fused progressive death metal, krautrock atmospherics, and spatial ambient noise.
From the moment fans entered the art-deco grandeur of The Wiltern, the anticipation was electric. The show sold out weeks in advance, and the bill reflected Blood Incantation’s expansive vision.
Krallice opened the night as the experimental black metal heir apparent.
Prog-metal icons Cynic elevated the night with a career-spanning journey through tech metal and jazz-inflected experimentation.
Last but not least, ambient pioneer Steve Roach offered a rare live set that immersed the crowd in soundscapes of drones and deep cosmic resonance. I thought the order of the bands was peculiar but I can’t say I’d complain. By the time Blood Incantation took the stage, the audience had already traveled through decades of extreme and progressive music and even an extended regenerative period during Steve Roach’s set.
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Blood Incantation began with “The Stargate [Tablet I],” launching into a full performance of their 2024 opus, Absolute Elsewhere, a two-part, 45-minute cosmic odyssey. Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky’s guitars intertwined in vast, exploratory arcs, while Isaac Faulk’s drumming shifted between pulverizing blasts and meditative grooves. Bassist Jeff Barrett held down the low end like a gravitational force, grounding the band like a tether on a space walk- making sure genius doesn’t descend into madness.
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The visuals were as immersive as the sound, with shifting projections of nebulae, fractal geometry, and astral landscapes synced to the set. During “The Message [Tablet II],” Roach returned to the stage for a collaborative passage that dissolved the boundary between death metal and vibrational ambience. The crowd stood mesmerized, silent except for scattered cheers that broke through the fog.
To close, Blood Incantation revisited early fan favorites from Starspawn and Hidden History of the Human Race, reminding everyone that their foundation in death metal remains intact even as they push the genre’s limits. The Wiltern show solidified their status in the pantheon of top live bands in modern metal—a climactic finale to the U.S. tour, with word of mouth leaving fans across entire oceans hungry for the European leg.
North American Leg – Summer 2025
The Absolute Else Tour kicked off July 12 at The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, a subterranean venue whose natural acoustics amplified the band’s sound. The choice of location set the tone for the tour: immersive, unconventional, and deeply vibrational.
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Across North America, Woodhaven Queens own sons of black metal, Krallice served as the main support, delivering complex black-death arrangements that mirrored Blood Incantation’s experimental ethos. Select cities also featured unique guest appearances.
The Chicago show at Bohemian National Cemetery became an instant highlight, its morbid setting a perfect backdrop for the band’s trans-dimensional themes.
At Fire in the Mountains Festival in Montana, their performance against the Rockies elevated the connection between nature and the unknowns of the abyss.
The North American line-up at The Wiltern in Los Angeles—featuring Cynic and Steve Roach—stood out as the tour’s best on paper. But every stop along the way carried its own magic.
Whether performing their ambient EP Timewave Zero in its entirety or weaving long passages of improvisation into Absolute Elsewhere, Blood Incantation proved themselves capable of transforming each venue into an astral conduit.
Critics across the continent consistently praised the tour.
LiveRate ranked them in the top 10% of all live acts worldwide, highlighting their ability to balance technical precision with overwhelming atmosphere. Fans described the shows as “hypnotic,” “visceral,” and “like being pulled into space.”
European Leg – Fall 2025 (Absolute Elsetour II)
After conquering North America, Blood Incantation have set sail for Absolute Elsetour II, their most ambitious European trek to date. Beginning October 6 at SWX in Bristol, UK, the band expanded their reach with their largest European headlining shows of their careers.
The support lineup varies, showcasing the band’s commitment to curating eclectic bills. Oranssi Pazuzu and Sijjin joined for the UK dates, blending psychedelic black metal and old-school death.
In Istanbul, doom legends Esoteric will share the stage, while Author & Punisher will add industrial weight at Lisbon’s Amplifest Sessions.
Highlights might include a triumphant night at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, a spiritual immersion at Soulcrusher Festival in the Netherlands, and a set at Athens’ Floyd Live Music Venue. Each show is looking to emphasize not only Blood Incantation’s expanding global presence but also their ability to adapt their product for new audiences.
Performance & Musical Impact
At the heart of the U.S. tour was the live realization of Absolute Elsewhere, a bold, two-track album stretching across six movements, or “tablets.” Onstage, the record unfolded as an odyssey: moments of crushing death metal dissolved into extended ambient passages, only to rise again in waves of psych heaviness.
Equally important were the performances of Timewave Zero, their 2022 ambient EP. By integrating entire ambient sets into their concerts, Blood Incantation broke from the typical death metal mold and embraced a multi-dimensional identity. This duality—relentless brutality and cosmic stillness—defined the Absolute Else Tour.
Visually, the band leaned into the interstellar themes that have always guided their music. Each show paired music with projections of galaxies, wormholes, and alien geometries, making the concerts feel like voyages rather than the stale performances.
Critical & Fan Reception
Reception to the Absolute ElseTour 2025 was overwhelmingly positive. Critics hailed the band’s risk-taking and their ability to balance extreme metal with experimental ambition. Fans have or will pack venues across two continents, many already describing the shows as “spiritual experiences”.
The tour also solidified Blood Incantation’s reputation as genre pioneers, unafraid to alienate purists while expanding the boundaries of death metal. The group’s cohesion onstage, with the Riedl/Kolontyrsky guitar partnership is easy to single out as one of the most dynamic in the genre today.
By the close of 2025, Blood Incantation and their Absolute ElseTour will have reshaped expectations for what a death metal tour could be across two continents. With ambitious setlists, visionary visuals, and diverse collaborations, the band proved they are not just leaders of the underground but torchbearers for the future….
From the subterranean depths of The Caverns to the grandeur of The Wiltern and across the festival halls of Europe, this is Blood Incantation at their most daring and most powerful. As fans and critics alike await their next move, one thing is certain: Blood Incantation has already carved their name among the greats of modern metal, and the Absolute ElseTour 2025 will be remembered as a turning point in their cosmic journey.
photos: Albert Licano
