Customer Reviews

Riders of the Plague

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the greatest metal cd's to be released in a few years by a new band. American metal in the past few years has been kind of weak but, not this album. It is about as addicting as In Flames with the ferocity of an old school 80's thrash band with the brains to match. These guys are awesome at what they do. Just take a listen to the title track and you will know exactly what I am talking about. The double bass hits with such intense precise hits and the guitars are angelic at times and strikingly brutal which adds such contrast to the songs structure. I also enjoyed "Dead and Gone" as well as it reminded me of Carcass or At the gates. Very old death metal sound going on here as well. The likes of which have not been heard since the great DEATH!!!A definite highlight on this cd as well is "Merciless".That song has great guitar licks and sweet drums. Right now I am enjoying "World Divides" also as it rings a familiar bell almost like God Forbid but yet so unique in it's own way.The double bass just doesn't stop at all during this song.Great tune.Oh and did I forget to mention the sweet TESTAMENT cover of "Into the Pit". Only a sheer genius could match up to Alex Scholnick guitar leads and this guy did just that while adding all his own style to one of my favorite metal songs of all time.This album is a keeper through and through. It will not let up until you orgasm out of the ears. Five stars. Well done guys

Well said by L. Bazan:

"This is one of the greatest metal cd's to be released in a few years by a new band. American metal in the past few years has been kind of weak but, not this album."

The Absence is a VERY talented Melodic Death Metal band up there with Darkane, Arch Enemy, etc. What a find. I really love these guy's. Not only are they talented, but they write very tasteful, powerful songs/riffs, etc. The drummer rips; his work with the cymbals is excellent.

The CD is pretty much stellar from beginning to end. IMO, "Riders of the Plague", "The Murder" and "Awakening" (and "From Your Grave", off their first CD) are some of the best metal songs ever written. The Absence is my new "favorite" band and what a GREAT addition to the genre. I wish these guy's much success and us; much more music from The Absence.

HORNS UP! \m/

I didn't expect to hear such great playing from this Florida outfit. At first I noticed inspiration from Swedish metal pioneers like The Haunted and Arch Enemy. But now I hear their unique take on the genre and the tremendous ability they bring to it. Stirring drum work, great arranging, tight guitar harmonies, rarely a note out of place. Meticulous-sounding yet natural and honest.

The Absence is a band to respect, to love and to recommend without hesitation.

Absence has crafted a very solid Metal album. Melodic Death Metal is a genre that is beginning to get crowded with too many unoriginal bands trying to sound like everyone else. However, Absence has a truly unique sound that will make any death metal fan smile throughout the entire album. They even have an instrumental track that is very good. Most of their instrumentation is so complex that its amazing they were even able to put lyrics to it. "World Divides" is definitely the stand out track here. It is a deep and complex track with plenty of guitar solos and riffs. Excellent job Absence, hopefully many more albums will follow.

Other reviewers who have compared this album to Arch Enemy are spot on. Some of the riffs and guitar acrobatics even remind one of Heartwork/Swansong-era Carcass. One other band that immediately comes to mind while listening to RotP is Daath. That's Daath, not Death.

To keep it short and simple: this is one of the best metal albums of the past 4 or 5 years. Yet it gets virtually no attention. Hopefully this band gets the credit it deserves. I love Arch Enemy, and this is as good as anything Arch Enemy has released, in my opinion. I can't imagine anyone who likes Arch Enemy or Daath or similar artists not loving this album. Get it now. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Americans don't know how to do melodic death metal. I've conceded the point. Yet, there is hope even in the dullest of death metal scenes. Enter The Absence. This outfit is from Florida. Their music is defined as a fusion between death metal and thrash metal. That said, I very much enjoyed this album.

The guitar melodies are insane and addicting. The music as a whole is harsh and brutal as death metal should be. Interestingly enough, their roots more resemble old school Swedish death metal rather than Death-esque grinding. The song tempos are are generally very fast and the drumming is precise. I can't find any fault in the low, growled vocals, either.

The guitars are obviously what drives this album. This is the way melodic death metal should be done.

Thus, my review indcludes no absence of stars. I'll give it 4.9/5. It is incredible. Get it and you'll love it.

If you are into melodic death metal than you need this album. When it comes to music I am a very picky person but this album changed my mind. It has everything from full force heavy riffs to melodic solo sections which keeps the music diverse and interesting instead of just a repeated riff over and over. The first time I heard The Absence I immediately thought of Arch Enemy, yeah, it's that good. My favorite songs are Riders of the Plague, Dead and Gone, Echos, and World Divides along with the two instrumentals Prosperity and Outro. Believe me, if your'e into melodic death metal you won't regret buying this album.

Some quality melodic death metal on this one! A lot of good grooves in the riffing, and vocals that you can understand (which helps my enjoyment of such an album). Interesting melodies, and "World Divides" has a middle section that plays more like Joe Satriani than normal metal fodder, and this resemblance to music more commonly associated with the so-called "guitar virtuosos" is a trend throughout the album, as the band takes on melodies much more commonly seen in instrumental music (and there are instrumentals here, as well). All in all, it makes for a very unique approach to the genre and a worthwhile effort.

At its best. The Absence is a great band, with lots of talent. All I have to say about this album is it is awesome.

This is one of the best releases of the year!!! With plenty of heaviness, melody and much ode to Swedish death metal, this is what American metal can become and should be - not the MTV version of what they think metal is.
World Divides and Dead and Gone are masterpieces.
I highly recommend this if you like Swedish melodic death metal...Arch Enemy, Unleashed, The Forsaken, Insomnium, etc....