THE ABSENCE

I think it is safe to say that Tampa's THE ABSENCE surprised the hell out of a lot of people (myself included) with a decidedly non-Floridian brand of death metal annihilation on "From Your Grave". The style heard is perfectly executed Swedish melodic death that somehow comes with an identity of its own, not exactly an easy thing to do during these past few years of Swede worship. But the proof would be in the pudding of the sophomore effort for Metal Blade (and third release overall),"Riders of the Plague". No problem, as the new disc has the band firing on all cylinders.

In fact, "Riders of the Plague" is a more cohesive effort; essentially meaning that everything from the flow of the album to the tight musicianship makes for a fulfilling experience. More importantly, one can point to darn near any one of these songs as a highlight. The catchy "Dead and Gone", the AT-THE-GATES-by-way-of-THE-ABSENCE delivery of "Merciless" (featuring an excellent melody-driven breakdown),and the Viking-esque (think generally of AMON AMARTH) "Echoes" are but a few of what could easily be a slew of future fan favorites. And let's not forget the impeccable cover of TESTAMENT's "Into the Pit", a track that not only fits snugly with the band's own material, but also retains the fire of the original and has the act breathing new life into the classic

It is difficult to point to a single element that makes "Riders of the Plague" such a melodic death metal gem, but you cannot argue with the fluid guitar harmonies and solos of Patrick Pintavalle and Peter Joseph. The duo flat out smoke, each subsequent spin of the disc revealing a previously unnoticed splash of virtuosity and/or soaring melody. By the same token, vocalist Jamie Stewart brings a more confident delivery, allowing one to not only understand the lyrics, but revel in the man's passionate performance, which also includes well placed death growls. And I would be remiss if I did not point out the bevy of guests on the album: SCAR SYMMETRY's Per Nillson (guitar on "The Murder") and Jonas Kjellgren (leads on "The Victorious Dead" and "Outro", and vocals on "Merciless"); AGHORA's Santiago Dobles (lead guitar and banjo on "The Murder"); James Murphy (leads on "Awakening" and "Outro"; and Jonas Granvik's (WITHOUT GRIEF, EDGE OF SANITY) guest vocals on "Merciless".

Topping it all off is the immaculate production of Kjellgren who worked his magic at Mana Studios. The collective result is a superb brand of Swedish-influenced melodic death metal that is anything but cheap imitation. Highly recommended.