VORDANE release 'Absence', a track that is filled with an haunting yet well crafted aura

(Image: S R Photography)

VORDANE (L-R: Sam, Rosie, Florian, Adam)

Another week, another review. And we find ourselves heading back to one of my favourite regions in the UK for underground music – good old Nottingham. Yes, Nottingham is full to the brim of aspiring talent of all shapes and sizes. Whether you want some heavy headbanging or bouncing pop tunes, there’s something for everyone is this vast music hub of a city. One such band offering something to sink your teeth into are cinematic metal group Vordane

Now if you haven’t met Vordane yet, that’s because this is a band that has slowly been building themselves up since 2024. Think Spiritbox, Ad Infinitum and Deftones. With a couple of shows under their belt through 2025, the band are set to make themselves wider known in the new year as they work away behind the scenes to bring their material to life. This brings us to their latest single ‘Absence’, which itself is a follow on from previous single ‘Something Left to Give’.

Taking elements of alternative metal, symphonic metal and splash of djent, Vordane have produced a track that is simplistic yet haunting. There are no flashy gimmicks, or an insane number of extras thrown in here – ‘Absence’ is a track that uses traditional methods to get you hooked and drawn in. The track focuses more on highlighting what the members can do not only collectively, but as individuals as well. There’s a perfect balance across the track within the mixing, so you can take in each instrument and the vocals and appreciate how they all add an element of power to the track.

When compared to its kin ‘Something Left to Give’ (which I feel had a heavier, crunchier sort of style), ‘Absence’ contains more of a ballad style approach. Slower and more melodic in both the music and vocals, this comparison between the two songs shows that the quartet can create tracks at either end of the heaviness scale (with 1 being a nice light ballad and 10 being a balls-out chunky piece of chaos) whilst retaining the main element of their sound throughout.

‘Absence’ and ‘Something Left to Give’ are signs of a band that are ready to take bigger steps. Whilst ‘Absence’ is simplistic in its approach compared to other songs in the market, it’s a sign of a band that are merely scratching the service with their sound and take on the genre, and that we have something bigger coming our way in the new year now that the band have secured their presence on the scene.