Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020)
Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020)
Blu-ray: MPEG-4 AVC 1080p, 23.976 fps, 16:9, High Profile 4.1
DTS-HD MA 5.1, 96 kHz, 24-bit / LPCM 5.1 & 2.0, 96 kHz, 24-bit
Progressive Rock | 00:47:27 | ~ 14.12 Gb
Blu-ray: MPEG-4 AVC 1080p, 23.976 fps, 16:9, High Profile 4.1
DTS-HD MA 5.1, 96 kHz, 24-bit / LPCM 5.1 & 2.0, 96 kHz, 24-bit
Progressive Rock | 00:47:27 | ~ 14.12 Gb
In 2016, America's eternally popular prog juggernaut Kansas returned to studio recording for the first time since their 2000 reunion outing Somewhere to Elsewhere. The resultant The Prelude Implicit also marked debuts for lead vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, and guitarist Zak Rizvi. Remarkably, it reflected the band's vintage sonic signature and songwriting/arranging chops without craven nostalgia. Four years on, Absence of Presence builds on the strengths of its predecessor, yet goes far deeper into the prog aesthetic. Kansas' popularity is based on the canny balance of meaty prog and radio-friendly melodic rock. Here, that strategy is more prevalent than on The Prelude Implicit.
The title-track opener juxtaposes David Ragsdale's omnipresent violin (Kansas is the only American band with this trademark), chunky, hard rock guitars from Rich Williams and Rivzi, new member Tom Brislin's arpeggiated and rhythmically rich keyboards, a prodding bassline from Billy Greer, and majestic drumming from Phil Ehart, all spiraling into a commanding prog jam. Platt's singing, while not similar to retired member Steve Walsh's, is crystalline, evocative, and deeply expressive. "Throwing Mountains" intros with thunderous guitars and attenuated violin fills before Platt delivers wide-eyed hopeful lyrics that acknowledge adversity as a necessary stage in triumph. Second single "Jets Overhead" offers a gorgeous synth hook as its melodic frame. The twinned electric guitar riffs and processional tom-toms underscore Ragsdale's violin and the droning bassline to usher the set's most memorable track. Cleverly, Kansas follow with "Propulsion 1," an explosive, labyrinthine instrumental. Given the COVID-19 world this album emerges in, "Memories Down the Line" is eerily prescient. A signature Kansas power ballad, its lyrics reflect the end of civilization as we know it: "Send these memories down the line/Our trials and tribulations/Send these memories down the line/And let them know we tried/Lessons locked inside…." While the philosophical melancholy and existential angst remain in "Circus of Illusion," the music is more aggressive, knotty, and yes, hooky. "Animals on the Roof" is a forceful and dramatic prog number driven by Ehart. The power-riffing guitars and Ragsdale's swirling violin meet syncopated rhythms as Platt rises above the maelstrom. While "Never" is a graceful, anthemic paean to self-determination and redemption, closer "The Song the River Sang" follows more intimate and intricate terrain before erupting into passionate prog. The band wind bluesy, metallic guitars into colliding synths and clavinets, ambient sounds, and chunky rock grooves. Fans will find Absence of Presence a welcome addition to Kansas' catalog that is indeed comparable to their best recordings. For non-followers, it is both a musically and stylistically excellent example of 21st century American prog rock.by Thom Jurek, allmusic
Kansas - The Absence Of Presence (2020):
Tracklist:
01. The Absence of Presence
02. Throwing Mountains
03. Jets Overhead
04. Propulsion 1
05. Memories Down the Line
06. Circus of Illusion
07. Animals on the Roof
08. Never
09. The Song the River Sang
Disc Label: Kansas - The Absence Of Presence
Disc Size: 14,840,017,551 bytes
Protection: AACS
BDInfo: 0.7.5.5
Notes:
BDINFO HOME:
Cinema Squid (old)
http://www.cinemasquid.com/blu-ray/tools/bdinfo
UniqProject GitHub (new)
https://github.com/UniqProject/BDInfo
INCLUDES FORUMS REPORT FOR:
AVS Forum Blu-ray Audio and Video Specifications Thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1155731
WARNING: Report is incomplete because: Scan has not been run.
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PLAYLIST: 00000.MPLS
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<–- BEGIN FORUMS PASTE –->
QUICK SUMMARY:
Disc Label: Kansas - The Absence Of Presence
Disc Size: 14,840,017,551 bytes
Protection: AACS
Playlist: 00000.MPLS
Size: 0 bytes
Length: 0:47:27.094
Total Bitrate: 0.00 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 0 kbps / 1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit
Audio: English / DTS-HD Master Audio / 5.1 / 96 kHz / 24-bit (DTS Core: 6.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 5.1 / 96 kHz / 13824 kbps / 24-bit
Disc Size: 14,840,017,551 bytes
Protection: AACS
BDInfo: 0.7.5.5
Notes:
BDINFO HOME:
Cinema Squid (old)
http://www.cinemasquid.com/blu-ray/tools/bdinfo
UniqProject GitHub (new)
https://github.com/UniqProject/BDInfo
INCLUDES FORUMS REPORT FOR:
AVS Forum Blu-ray Audio and Video Specifications Thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1155731
WARNING: Report is incomplete because: Scan has not been run.
********************
PLAYLIST: 00000.MPLS
********************
<–- BEGIN FORUMS PASTE –->
Total Video
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QUICK SUMMARY:
Disc Label: Kansas - The Absence Of Presence
Disc Size: 14,840,017,551 bytes
Protection: AACS
Playlist: 00000.MPLS
Size: 0 bytes
Length: 0:47:27.094
Total Bitrate: 0.00 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 0 kbps / 1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit
Audio: English / DTS-HD Master Audio / 5.1 / 96 kHz / 24-bit (DTS Core: 6.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 5.1 / 96 kHz / 13824 kbps / 24-bit
All thanks go to the original releaser