It's difficult to judge at this point whether Ars Diavoli will establish their own identity and place themselves in a class above the plethora of bands (mostly solo projects) producing the same kind of noisy, depressing, suicidal black metal. However, I can state with confidence that _The Absence of Light_ is a highly listenable demo tape that vividly captures the essence of the art and leaves its unwelcome footprint on the listener's mental state.