The Absence - Enemy Unbound

Release Date: September 14, 2010
Label: Metal Blade Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Vertigo
2.  Erased
3.  Deepest Wound
4.  Maelstrom
5.  Enemy Unbound
6.  Solace
7.  The Bridge
8.  Wartorn
9.  Hidden in White
10.  Vengence and Victory
11.  Triumph

Total playing time:  56:50

The Absence is back and stronger than ever with their latest release, Enemy Unbound, which was released this Fall. Following up on their successful sophomore record Riders of the Plague and after touring extensively with impressive European acts such as Amon Amarth, these Tampa, FL area natives were able to further refine their style and delivery for 2010.

One thing the Absence has been known for is their instrumentals. This album opens up with “Vertigo,” which sets the tone for things to come with the dual guitar harmonies and general guitar skills that these guys are known for. Immediately after, the listener is greeted with Jamie Stewart’s vocals, which exceed the brutality of past releases in “Erased”. Guitarists Peter Joseph and Patrick Pintavalle supply excellent riffage and great fills and solos throughout the album, which was coincidentally co-produced by the guitarists and engineered by Brian Elliot. One detail that is brought to the forefront with the production is the guitar tone. Joseph now uses Suhr guitars exclusively, purportedly straight out of the box, which are not commonly used by metal guitarists. The guitar tone is incredibly bright while still maintaining the heaviness necessary to play through an album of thrashy melodic death metal.

The rhythm section is no group of slackers either. The Absence’s original drummer Jeramie Kling, who recorded the band’s full length debut From Your Grave is back in the lineup and is definitely able to push the limit when it comes to double bass and complex drum fills. Enemy Unbound was originally tracked by ­­­­­Justin Reynolds, who drummed during the extensive Riders of the Plague tour, but he was unfortunately injured in a car accident late in the recording of the album, which led the other band members to approach Kling, who willingly accepted the offer to rejoin the ranks. Bassist Mike Leon drives the quick rhythm of many of these high-speed melo-death tracks while adding an additional dimension of melody to the music.

The entire first half of Enemy Unbound, more specifically the tracks between instrumentals “Vertigo” and “Solace,” are all very single-friendly. The title track has already been released as a single. It has a well-produced video and has been getting significant airplay on metal radio stations, while tracks such as “Maelstrom” and “Deepest Wound” definitely prove that this group is on top of their songwriting and their musicianship. The second half of the album is full of extremely well written and orchestrated tracks that present a more diverse breadth of style. Tempos vary more widely from song to song while Stewart’s vocals remain brutal throughout, making use of occasional low growls to complement his already flawless delivery. The influence of Swedish bands like Arch Enemy and In Flames is readily apparent when listening to this album, which may have also been a motivating factor in the band hiring Jonas Kjellgren (Scar Symmetry, October Tide) to mix and master this album.

The Absence has definitely achieved a big victory with this latest release. Effectively capturing the sound of Swedish melodic death metal bands while incorporating elements such as an unconventional guitar tone is what sets Enemy Unbound apart from other 2010 releases. Expert musicianship, expert production, and high power vocals should earn this album a spot in your playlist. This is definitely an instance where the Americans don’t need a government bailout and are poised for future success.

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*Comments:

Reviewer: The Stream

November 23, 2010