The Absence – The Absence
Release Date: 29th March 2024
Label: Listenable Insanity Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Death Metal, Thrash.
FFO: At the Gates, The Haunted, Arsis, Mors Principium Est.
Review By: Rick Farley
Tampa, Florida’s melodic death metal band The Absence started their career off with the incredible 2005 debut album From your Grave and 2007’s Riders of the Plague that to this day still holds up as two of the genres most criminally underrated releases. In my personal opinion, both are required listening in the lore of melodeath that shares way more in common with the Swedish melodic death metal of the mid to late 90s than it does the watered-down American version (metalcore) from the 2000s. Personal preference I guess, but a case can be made for these two records as being essential in a genre absolutely filled to the brim with classic albums. Now nineteen years later and five albums strong, we have album number six, The Absence, oddly self-titled for a band this far into their career, releasing March 29th, 2024, on Listenable Insanity Records.
The Absence has been a bit of a revolving door concerning band members, besides original vocalist Jamie Stewart, who has been there from the beginning and is still currently belting out grisly screams of terror. Drummer Jeramie Kling who joined the band in 2003 left in 2007, only to return in 2010, while guitarist Taylor Nordberg has been a member since 2013 doing triple duty on this release as bassist and keyboardist as well. Changing band members so frequently, you would think the quality of music would suffer, but their discography is rock solid.
Musically, The Absence is full of engrossing melodic death metal filled with a driving thrashiness and tons of hooks. Instantly recognizable and highly memorable right from the beginning. A recipe that swings between gorgeous guitar harmonies and extreme aggression. Blistering melodic riffs, intricate but memorable drum parts that do more for the songs than just keep it within the rails, and harsh shouted screams that are both ferocious and infectious. The frenzy of opener Communion Carbonized burst through the speakers with tons of Scandinavian influence and furious drumbeats, while Planetary Mortuary is a heavy chugging beast with incredibly catchy leads spread throughout. Surface of a Dead World is a beautiful acoustic instrumental with killer leads harmonizing overtop, it breaks the energy levels up enough to differentiate the tracks. For an album set to scorching most of the time, these little touches keep it sounding diverse.
The Absence was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Smoke & Mirrors Productions by Taylor Nordberg, and Jeramie Kling. It has a rawer, dirtier sound than previous albums, which is effective by giving it an edge, but I do wish there were a bit more beef to the mix. Although the drum work is excellent, it lacks power, and the bass is a little low in the mix. Again, these types of things boil down to personal preference because the record overall does sound good. I do believe this was by choice as opposed to a mistake. Everything is intelligible, and there’s definitely a live feel to it.
That aside, the songwriting on The Absence is a culmination of their previous albums coming together as one. There are little bits here and there that remind me of the band’s older days from each time period, while still sounding fresh. Although this album doesn’t deviate too far from the bands original sound, maybe the idea of this as a self-titled so late in their careers marks a rebirth of the band by acknowledging everything up until this point. Whatever it may be, it’s pretty fucking enjoyable. 
(3.5 / 5)
