The Absence: Enemy Unbound

If any skeptical metal fans need affirmation that At the Gates’ legacy will live on forever, look no further than Enemy Unbound. This album wraps all the classic elements of Slaughter of the Soul (save the inimitable guitar tone) into a fast-moving and intricate package of melodic death metal destruction. Jamie Stewart is positively beast-like with his vocals, sounding even better than he did on the band’s solid older material. Few bands have this much power in their sound, and fewer still can maintain, develop and improve it over the course of three albums to such a high degree of quality. The Absence has a very bright future, and they’ve achieved a lot already by paying tribute to the greats that came before them, adding their own intelligent flavor to the music.