Album Review: The Absence – A Gift for the Obsessed (M-Theory Audio)

Tampa, Florida based death metal band, The Absence are releasing their 4th studio album, A Gift for the Obsessed, on March 23rd via M-Theory Audio. The upcoming record will be the band’s first full-length since 2010’s acclaimed Enemy Unbound (Metal Blade Records), and is the first to feature their current lineup. Led by founding members Stewart and Jeramie Kling (drums) along with longtime bass player Mike Leon (Soulfly, Havok, Arsis), the group now features the high-flying guitar work of Joey Concepcion (Jasta, Armageddon) and Taylor Nordberg (Soilwork, Ribspreader), who made their debut on the band’s self-released digital single, ‘Septic Testament’ in 2016.

The Absence play solid melodic death metal familiar to fans of early In Flames, Dark Tranquility, and early Arch Enemy (Gossow years).

Thundering riffs, fiendish vocals and pulverising bass & drums. The ten tracks are perfectly enjoyable but you can’t help but think it’s missing something…a hook. There is nothing wrong with A Gift for the Obsessed, it’s a damn fine death metal record that ticks all the right boxes for a modern melodic death metal band. However, that in itself is the problem, it’s a bit too box-ticking as if a checklist has been used.

Technically the album is perfect, the sound crystal clear and the tracks professionally arranged. You could put this on while hanging with metal friends & no-one is going to complain but ask them afterwards to pick a track out & they may struggle.

That’s not to say it’s an album without merit. The Forging have some real bite to it, Thought and Memory gets the blood-pumping, Fear of Existence brings some exciting levels of melo-death while You Can’t Bring Me Down delivers a hardcore/death metal mash up that is arguably the standout moment of the record.

The Absence – A Gift for the Obsessed Full Track Listing:

1. A Gift for the Obsessed
2. The Forging
3. Misery Trophies
4. Thought and Memory
5. Celestial Hysteria
6. Septic Testament
7. The Alpha Illusion
8. Fear of Existence
9. You Can’t Bring Me Down
10. Idle Thrones

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You can pick up the album via Bandcamp and via M-Theory Audio here. The album will also be available to stream via Spotify and via Apple Music below. Find out more by checking out the band’s Facebook Page and watch some of their videos on YouTube.