"Those of you who didn't make it out to Ash Street Saloon last night, you missed a great metal show with three talented bands from the Portland area Metal Scene.........
.......Next to take the stage was Age of Absence. I have seen these guys play a few times now, in one form or another. And every time I see them, I note an improvement over the last time I saw them. Since the last time I saw them, they have a new drummer and one less guitarist. Aside from seeing friends perform some great metal, I was most interested in seeing how the changes would effect the over-all sound of the band. First things first, Tyler, the new drummer, is great on the skins. He is energetic, and has accepted his role in the band as timekeeper. Perhaps more importantly, he is enthusiastic about it, and because of this, he brings additional energy to the stage. In terms of having one less guitarist, as a fan, you would never really know. Ian moves in and out between rhythm and lead as though the songs were written specifically for one guitarist. A rhythm guitarist would give back a little more freedom to Ian, and allow for some layering, that I believe was present, the last time I saw them. And speaking of energy, bassist Bill is one of the more mobile bassists I have seen recently, and it may be this, that jars people out of the shock they receive once Katie starts singing. If you have not seen this band live, and you are in the Portland area, get out to one of their shows."
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"Saw Age of Absence for the first time tonight. When I meet the singer during unloading, I had no idea that this seemingly quiet girl could bring on such a show. Instantly one of my favorite female screamers. I definitely liken their performance with iwrestledabearonce, even with a less than perfect p.a. The bassist and amazing, the guitarist seems to have 15 fingers, and the drummer was driving, tight, and a perfect fit to the songs. Can't wait to see them play again sept 6th!" ----Stacy Hall
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Age of Absence / Blog
MetalDaze 13 review
"Those of you who didn't make it out to Ash Street Saloon last night, you missed a great metal show with three talented bands from the Portland area Metal Scene......... .......Next to take the stage was Age of Absence. I have seen these guys play a few times now, in one form or another. And every time I see them, I note an improvement over the last time I saw them. Since the last time I saw them, they have a new drummer and one less guitarist. Aside from seeing friends perform some great metal, I was most interested in seeing how the changes would effect the over-all sound of the band. First things first, Tyler, the new drummer, is great on the skins. He is energetic, and has accepted his role in the band as timekeeper. Perhaps more importantly, he is enthusiastic about it, and because of this, he brings additional energy to the stage. In terms of having one less guitarist, as a fan, you would never really know. Ian moves in and out between rhythm and lead as though the songs were written specifically for one guitarist. A rhythm guitarist would give back a little more freedom to Ian, and allow for some layering, that I believe was present, the last time I saw them. And speaking of energy, bassist Bill is one of the more mobile bassists I have seen recently, and it may be this, that jars people out of the shock they receive once Katie starts singing. If you have not seen this band live, and you are in the Portland area, get out to one of their shows."
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ITat2to Organics and The Wicked Vegan
"Saw Age of Absence for the first time tonight. When I meet the singer during unloading, I had no idea that this seemingly quiet girl could bring on such a show. Instantly one of my favorite female screamers. I definitely liken their performance with iwrestledabearonce, even with a less than perfect p.a. The bassist and amazing, the guitarist seems to have 15 fingers, and the drummer was driving, tight, and a perfect fit to the songs. Can't wait to see them play again sept 6th!" ----Stacy Hall
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