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Everyone knows that one dude that peaked in highschool however has just about plateaued at this level. It’s not like he turned a junkie or an alcoholic or something, however he by no means went professional, he’s nonetheless working on the identical auto physique store and going to the identical bar that he’s been going to for years, solely now he’s acquired a beer stomach and a bald spot. He’s not a nasty man, however there’s no denying that he simply doesn’t have the identical twinkle in his eye that he used to again within the day.
That’s the vibe that I acquired whereas listening to the brand new album from Tampa, Florida melodic loss of life metallers The Absence. It ticks all the mandatory bins and it’s not objectively dangerous, however it simply doesn’t have that very same sense of ardour and pizzazz that was once there. I’ve talked about earlier than that when you’re going to place out a self-titled album then it had higher reside as much as the hype since you’re telling the world that this music is the quintessential illustration of your band, however that’s not the case right here, no less than from the place I’m standing.
The very first thing I observed instantly is that the manufacturing on this album feels very skinny and overly compressed in comparison with earlier releases, with nearly no low finish to be discovered in any respect. There’s no oomph to it, and a whole lot of the songwriting could be very easy apart from the admittedly ripping guitar solos, so when you’re going to go that route then you definitely want a beefy guitar tone to compensate for it. I distinctly keep in mind Riders of the Plague being my jam when it got here out again in 2007, so I went again to offer it a re-listen and that solely confirmed that this new report’s manufacturing actually is a step down.
There are, nonetheless, a variety of shiny spots that showcase the band’s true potential, and never simply within the guitar solos, of which there’s an abundance. The third monitor “Vagrant Loss of life” has a really sturdy mosh-worthy opening and a catchy refrain part, however sadly it begins to lose momentum after a few minute and a half. It builds as much as what sounds to be a fairly sick breakdown, however reasonably than following by means of on it, they as an alternative change over to a reasonably reserved solo part the place that rhythm they spent a lot time build up nearly turns into an afterthought. The opening riff and refrain do make a comeback afterwards, however due to that misplaced momentum, they only don’t have the identical impression the second time round.
“The Silent Eye” really has the other drawback, in that I discovered the opening half to be type of lackluster however it actually picks up steam throughout and after the solo part within the center. There may be additionally a really tasteful acoustic intro to start with of “Fleshwalker” that I want lasted longer, however sadly it’s principally simply there to behave as a launchpad for the primary melody. It is a frequent situation all through the album’s runtime; there are many cool concepts that peek by means of for a second or two, however for no matter purpose they only don’t observe by means of on them correctly and choose to play it protected as a rule. They also have a few blast beats scattered all through “Vagrant Loss of life” and on the very finish of the ultimate music “Breeding Hysterics”, which clearly demonstrates that the band are able to a lot extra, however for one purpose or one other they only… don’t.
Now I’ll admit, I’m being fairly harsh for a three-star evaluation. As I stated, this album isn’t “dangerous”, per se, it’s simply exhausting to just accept the state of this report given the truth that I’ve seen for myself what these guys can actually do once they’re firing on all cylinders. I used to be genuinely excited after I discovered that I’d be reviewing this album and was actually wanting ahead to it at first, however as is usually the case, the anticipation ended up being much more pleasing than the precise payoff. It’s not horrible, however it did really feel very anticlimactic.
I assume I’m simply holding the band to a better customary as a result of I do know that they’re able to really superior music. I’m certain these songs will sound a lot heavier and extra well-rounded in a reside setting at any time when they hit the highway to assist the brand new album, however that’s type of a given. It’s additionally a little bit of a disgrace that that’s what it’s going to take. However then once more I’ve additionally heard a lot, a lot worse, so I assume the center of the highway being an excellent or dangerous factor is in the end a matter of perspective.
Who is aware of, possibly you’ll get extra out of this album than I did. It’s not with out its appeal, however the wafer-thin manufacturing and squandered momentum persistently left a nasty style in my mouth. Not sufficient to fully flip me off, thoughts you, however extra like a barely stale bag of potato chips. The flavour remains to be there and you may nonetheless pile them onto a sandwich, however it simply doesn’t have that very same satisfying crunch that it had three days in the past.
The Absence is out there now through Listenable Madness Information, order your copy right here
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