Customer Reviews

From Your Grave

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This band is amazing!!! From Your Grave is their Metal Blade Records debut, but they have been huge in the Tampa Bay Area for quite sometime now. With this release they set the standard on how melodic death should be. They combine so many different elements of the great bands that helped define the genre. The guitar melodies remind me of old In Flames i.e. Jester Race and Colony. While the vocals have that old At The Gates feel to them. But this does not mean the are simply imitating these other bands. They definitely have their own style, and adding their flavor with the best elements of the Gothenburg sound, make this cd pretty close to a Masterpiece! There are no happy sing-a-long choruses here... This is straight up brutal metal. It is really refreshing to hear something like this, when it seems like all the other bands with the exception of Dark Tranquillity, are all softening up. So if you are into old In Flames, Soilwork, At The Gates, Arch Enemy, and Dark Tranquillity definitely go out and pick this cd up! The Absence are going to be the next big thing!!!

okay no cute stuff here strait to the point... The absence are a breath of fresh air in these days of uninspired metalcore and rehash music. This band fuse's a lot of good things to come up with a sound that defines them. At times they sound like they could be a black metal band or swedish deathmetal with their use of highpitch scream vocals and overlaping guitar harmonies but on the other end they have that american feel with good thrashy riffs and pummeling drums. Good lyrics are found here nothing cheesy no oh you tore my heart out stupid metalcore stuff just pure strait from the soul metal. The most stand out thing on this album tho is the guitar work great solos riffs melodies and harmonies this disc is a great listen if you like melodic fast riffing music and if you want to hear a new fresh band who stands out amongst the rest of these wanna be headbanging clones we see nowdays...(no need to list any names.) bottem line good album that you will spin a number of times. I bought this album 3 months ago and it gets a spin at least 2 times a week.

Please disregard his review. This cd is amazing. Sounds a bit like old Melodic Death metal you haven't heard since high school. If At the Gates and In Flames had a baby The Absence would be it. From your Grave is a powerful metal cd which captivates your soul with great guitars and superb songwriting.These guys are destined to get really big in a few years.Unearth, Dozen Furies and everyone else doesn't do guitar harmonies as good as these guys . If you like these guys then check out "Against the Elements" from Beyond the Embrace because they sound similar.

I came across this by accident. I was looking for Absu and this was right there (Absu wasn't). I hadn't heard of the band but I liked the cover and song titles, plus it was on Metal Blade which reduced it's chance of "suckage". At $9.99 the risk was further minimized so I picked it up and I couldn't be happier. No metalcore breakdown nonsense, no nu-metal chug-fests, no fashion victims in eyeliner and girls jeans, just real metal played by scruffy lookin' dudes wearing metal t-shirts...geez, it's like the old days! (On an image side note, has anyone else noticed the uncanny resemblance the singer has to Ryan Dunn?) Musically I'll agree with many of the other reviews. There's no new ground being broken here and there is a super strong Gothenburg influence but there's the American death metal side of it as well that really makes it stand out. This is a solid album and one hell of a debut. I imagine their next record will be amazing. I'm adding this to my Best Of 2005 list. Don't be afraid to give this one a try!

Thats the first word in the song "Necropolis" perhaps the best song on the album, need I say more? This album is well executed, no matter who it sounds like or whatever stupid overly analytical, super specific, made up genre you want to classify it as. A good album is a good album. Period. The Absence is definitely off to a bone shattering start. Plenty of sweet guitar riffs, you won't be disappointed if you are any kind of self-respecting metal head. Put down your System of a Down BYOB BS and listen to some real s***. Seriously

I bought this album not expecting too much in mind. As sson as the intro hit, I knew this was to be different. From a far, the standard elements are all there, tampa bay band, euro death influence, scream growls. But what makes the absence stand out from the crowd is there sheer talent to execute som of the best elements of the genre, Stanouts include necropolis and from you grave which include 1980's power metal grooves . Also worth mentioning is the excellent instrumental track shattered. To be honest I was left with my fist in the air my the end of the 42 mins and felt that I listened to something that along with Nile would destroy the flaging death metal scene. Its very good.

The ABSENCE - From Your Grave
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Let's be honest here folks... Making a splash in the pool that is melodic metal is not an easy task now-a-days. You have dozens upon dozens of talented young bands that are making Melo-Death. One thing most of them lack is the roots of the genre... getting more caught up in the glory of Euro-inspired guitar melodies but selling the true-genre short with either, over ambitious break downs or Emo-filled power choruses. And this, my friends is where The Absence really shines! `From the Grace' comes off as something closer to In Flames `Whoracle' then say Soilwork's `Stabbing the drama'.

Honestly, The Absence hasn't reinvented anything with this release, but it is still a fantastic homage to the older days of Melo-Death. All the musicians are competent in their own rights... As expected the guitar playing (Peter Joesph & Patrick Pintaville) is superb. From great riffs to fantastic leads, the melody flows consistently from beginning to end. The bass (Nick Calaci) is pushed a bit far in the back (which is sadly typical in metal) but provides a good backdrop for the guitar interplay. The drumming (Jeramie Kling) is tight, and seems quite focused. I enjoy the fact that he doesn't overdue it behind the kit, showing restraint which is something that many other lack. The vocals, handled by Jamie Stewart, are your standard, At the Gates-Rasp, but it works well for them... Like mentioned above this CD sounds like it came out in 1995 not 2005. Also the production of Erik Rutan is incredible really capturing their music in a timeless feel, yet giving it a modern clean-up.

So what will the future hold for this Tampa 5-piece? If `From Your Grave' is an indication, (which obviously it is...) things can only progress, after all this is their debut.

Favorite Songs: Seven Demons, Heaven's Ablaze, Summoning the Darkness and A Breath Beneath
-4.25 Stars

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While not quite so strong as its follow-up Riders of the Plague, The Absence have made a decent album with From Your Grave. But it lacks a lot of the character and flair with which they'd infuse the next album, and it suffers from a lack of variety. Not bad, by any stretch, but the music just doesn't grab the listener nearly as effectively as does Riders, though it is perhaps more aggressive (almost monotonously so).

The album does have it's high points, most notably the aggressive and groove infused "I, Deceiver," and showcases the bands abilities, but for the most part it could use a bit more variety.

To preface this review, I'm in the office. I don't have the time or resources to review each song thoroughly.

First off, this album is up to par production-wise. I know this has been a problem for many metalblade releases in the past. This cd sounds great.

If you are a guitar player, this album is for you. Every song is littered with tasteful, skillful shredding that doesn't get stale. I don't like most of the current crop of metal guys like evergrey, in flames, KSE, etc., but "The Absence" is great. They have a real future if they can follow this up with a strong effort.

If you like anything melodic and can handle serious heaviness, buy this album right now. The band is a bunch of super nice Florida guys.

This CD is amazing. If anyone says different, they do not like Gothenburg style metal, nor did they listen to At The Gates. Because, this is very At The Gates to me, and it rules!
People seem to like the more accessable "Riders of the Plague" more than this release. I like "Riders..." just fine. It's more for musicians than people who want to get a dose of lethal metal. I like "From You Grave" better because of the raw feel it has.

People should buy this CD. It's pretty defining in the Melodic Death Metal genre. It is simply a masterpeice of metal.