Review: The Absence’s Self-Titled Album Could Be Great, But It Doesn’t Quite Get There
We all know that one dude that peaked in high school but has pretty much plateaued at this point. It’s not like he became a junkie or an alcoholic or anything, but he never went pro, he’s still working at the same auto body shop and going to the same bar that he’s been going to for years, only now he’s got a beer belly and a bald spot. He’s not a bad guy, but there’s no denying that he just doesn’t have the same twinkle in his eye that he used to back in the day.
That’s the vibe that I got while listening to the new album from Tampa, Florida melodic death metallers The Absence. It ticks all the necessary boxes and it’s not objectively bad, but it just doesn’t have that same sense of passion and pizzazz that used to be there. I’ve mentioned before that if you’re going to put out a self-titled album then it had better live up to the hype because you’re telling the world that this music is the quintessential representation of your band, but that is not the case here, at least from where I’m standing.
The first thing I noticed right away is that the production on this album feels very thin and overly compressed compared to previous releases, with almost no low end to be found at all. There’s no oomph to it, and a lot of the songwriting is very straightforward except for the admittedly ripping guitar solos, so if you’re going to go that route then you need a beefy guitar tone to compensate for it. I distinctly remember Riders of the Plague being my jam when it came out back in 2007, so I went back to give it a re-listen and that only confirmed that this new record’s production really is a step down.
There are, however, a number of bright spots that showcase the band’s true potential, and not just in the guitar solos, of which there is an abundance. The third track “Vagrant Death” has a very strong mosh-worthy opening and a catchy chorus section, but unfortunately it starts to lose momentum after about a minute and a half. It builds up to what sounds to be a pretty sick breakdown, but rather than following through on it, they instead switch over to a rather reserved solo section where that rhythm they spent so much time building up almost becomes an afterthought. The opening riff and chorus do make a comeback afterwards, but because of that lost momentum, they just don’t have the same impact the second time around.
“The Silent Eye” actually has the opposite problem, in that I found the opening half to be kind of lackluster but it really picks up steam during and after the solo section in the middle. There is also a very tasteful acoustic intro in the beginning of “Fleshwalker” that I wish lasted longer, but sadly it’s basically just there to act as a launchpad for the main melody. This is a common issue throughout the album’s runtime; there are lots of cool ideas that peek through for a moment or two, but for whatever reason they just don’t follow through on them properly and opt to play it safe more often than not. They even have a few blast beats scattered throughout “Vagrant Death” and at the very end of the final song “Breeding Hysterics”, which clearly demonstrates that the band are capable of so much more, but for one reason or another they just… don’t.
Now I’ll admit, I’m being pretty harsh for a three-star review. As I said, this album isn’t “bad”, per se, it’s just hard to accept the state of this record given the fact that I’ve seen for myself what these guys can really do when they’re firing on all cylinders. I was genuinely excited when I found out that I’d be reviewing this album and was really looking forward to it at first, but as is often the case, the anticipation ended up being far more enjoyable than the actual payoff. It’s not terrible, but it did feel very anticlimactic.
I guess I’m just holding the band to a higher standard because I know that they’re capable of truly awesome music. I’m sure these songs will sound much heavier and more well-rounded in a live setting whenever they hit the road to support the new album, but that’s kind of a given. It’s also a bit of a shame that that’s what it’s going to take. But then again I’ve also heard much, much worse, so I guess the middle of the road being a good or bad thing is ultimately a matter of perspective.
Who knows, maybe you’ll get more out of this album than I did. It’s not without its charm, but the wafer-thin production and squandered momentum consistently left a bad taste in my mouth. Not enough to completely turn me off, mind you, but more like a slightly stale bag of potato chips. The flavor is still there and you can still pile them onto a sandwich, but it just doesn’t have that same satisfying crunch that it had three days ago.
The Absence is available now via Listenable Insanity Records, order your copy here
