Melodic Death Metal (Melo-Death for short) is a drug. When the stuff began hemorrhaging out of Scandinavia in the mid-90s, it seemed like Metalheads worldwide couldn't get enough of the stuff. Bands like The Gates, Dark Tranquility and (uuuuugh) In Flames adorned awkwardly oversized black T-shirts everywhere. The marriage of brutal, American Death Metal and sophisticated, serene European melodies was a match made in heaven, one that continues to give birth to countless acts well into the new millennium.It would be poor form for me to deny my own very passionate love affair with this beast. I became acquainted with Melo-Death around 2002, just as everyone else was growing weary of her charms. But for me, there was nothing else. It had the infectious melody and rhythmic accessibility necessary to remain memorable, but maintained enough of a harsh, metallic edge to make me feel like a total badass. Like all trends, Melo-Death had its fair share of detractors. People called it derivative, boring and overplayed, but that never stopped me from exploring the genre even unto its innermost parts. I always took its far-reaching influence as a sign of just how much the style spoke to Metalheads everywhere.

These days, traditional Melodic Death Metal is almost nonexistent, though its fingerprints can be found on many of Metal's more prevalent trends. Acts like Unearth took the template and glued it to a frame of traditional Hardcore, spawning yet another overly popular genre, modern Metalcore. Still, every now and then, a band will emerge from the masses still carrying the genre's flag with pride, skill and confidence.

In this particular case, that band in question is The Absence. From its Tampa stomping grounds, The Absence has made a very respectable name for itself delivering slightly Americanized, but fundamentally traditional, late '90s Melodic Death Metal. In an arena currently dominated by deliberately spastic and technical Metalcore, a release like Riders of The Plague is refreshing both in its content and Metal-with-a-capital-M attitude.

Wisely eschewing the traditional introductory track, vocalist Jamie Stewart (a dead ringer for At The Gates' Tomas Lindberg, both in voice and appearance-sorry, dude) and his merry men kick off the album's title track in fine style with a vein-popping scream and a torrential downpour of thrashy riffs. The perfect opening number, "Riders of The Plague," immediately settles into a bouncy riff, evoking a big grin and fervent head-banging. Less than 15 seconds go by before the incendiary guitar duo of Peter Joseph and Patrick Pintavalle unleashes some of its consistently stellar lead play, underpinned by drummer Jeremy Kling's tastefully restrained thunder.

From there on out, the band rarely takes its foot off the gas, storming through the album's 11 tracks in a fit of Metallic ecstasy.

The band's aforementioned Americanized elements come in the form of a more noticeable Bay Area Thrash influence, especially in the opening riffs of tracks like "Dead and Gone" and "World Divides." Heck, they even threw a righteously raucous cover of Testament's live anthem, "Into The Pit," onto the album.

As far a production goes, the band couldn't have asked for a better sound: clear and well- blended, but with enough grit and gusto to give it a live feel. The drums sound particularly lovely, with a natural sound that draws your attention to Kling's imaginative cymbal work.

Yet for all its quality, the album is somewhat lacking in fundamental creativity. Don't get me wrong: The riffs and arrangements here are anything but boring. It's just that at the end of the day, these boys are playing an arguably restrictive genre that's entering its second decade as a staple of the Metal community. You've probably heard a lot of this stuff before, just not with this level of ability. Stewart's consistently mid range scream doesn't help matters either.

Still, anyone looking for high-caliber Melodic Death Metal, or any Metal for that matter, can't go wrong with Riders of The Plague. People can whine all they want, but this is a style that's here to stay. Stop complaining, and start giving quality acts the credit they deserve.