A Death Metal Album Is Mike Portnoy’s Album of the Year Contender

Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy has posted about a new death metal album that he has in consideration for his coveted “Album of the Year.”

“Holy f*ck! Bravo,” exclaims Portnoy, calling Blood Incantation’s new album Absolute Elsewhere “incredible” in a recent Instagram post.

What has always been one of the most endearing qualities about the legendary drummer is his passion and enthusiasm for new music. And that he doesn’t find extreme metal to be off-putting, certainly helping many others overcome significant hurdles such as harsh vocals and blast beats beneath gnashing, down-tuned riffs.

Describing the record by the Colorado group, the Portnoy boasts, “The brutality of Opeth meets the beauty of Pink Floyd… all in one epic prog metal album (just two 20 [minute] epics!)” and that it is “definitely a contender for my [Album of the Year].”

See his post directly below and learn more about Blood Incantation further down the page.

About Blood Incantation and Absolute Elsewhere

Formed in 2011 in Denver, Colorado, Blood Incantation have emerged as one of the most acclaimed death metal bands of their era.

The band’s members are quite prolific and are involved in other notable acts such as Stormkeep, Wayfarer and Spectral Voice.

The hyped 2015 Interdimensional Extinction was followed by Starspawn, the band’s first full length, in 2016. The underground was buzzing with praise and, in 2019, Blood Incantation four-song/36-minute LP Hidden History of the Human Race marked a high point in death metal for the 2010s.

Their willingness to experiment has taken them down a path seldom trotted by bands of their ilk, with Absolute Elsehwere engaging just as many ’70s prog and ambient influences as classic death metal ones.

The album even features a guest appearance by Thorsten Quaeschning, the entrusted leader of ambient/electronic legends Tangerine Dream. Although he was born 10 years after the band’s formation, he’s been a member since 2005. With no original members left for nearly a decade now, the widow of founder Edgar Froese has worked closely with the current lineup to maintain band activity.

Absolute Elsewhere is comprised of two tracks “The Stargate” and “The Message,” each of which have been broken into three separate parts on streaming services.

Listen to the 20-minute “The Stargate” directly below.

Blood Incantation’s headlining tour kicks off on Nov. 7 in Portland, Oregon. See all the upcoming dates at the band’s website.

Blood Incantation, “The Stargate”

Dream Theater’s New Album + Tours

Dream Theater recently announced their new album Parasomnia, which comes out on Feb. 7 next year. It’s the progressive metal group’s first album with Portnoy since 2009 and fans got their first taste of him back in action on the single “Night Terror.”

It’s a nearly 10-minute track with a dominantly dark aura, driven by dissonant melodies and ominous lyrics. While Portnoy’s return is a cause for a cheery celebration, “Night Terror” takes a winding emotional detour that has fans excited to hear what else is in store.

On Oct. 20, Dream Theater will launch their 40th anniversary tour overseas and, in 2025, they’ll bring the trek to North America.