ALBUM REVIEW: Luciferous – Enterprise Earth
How does one quantify “heavy”? In metric tonnage? Perhaps it would be more apt to use newtons, or maybe even a more fundamental scale of mass. At a certain point, when sufficient mass is compressed enough, it creates what physics terms a “black hole” – a singularity that bends space to the point where any and all directions lead towards said singularity, and not even light can travel fast enough to escape the curvature of space-time. Inescapable, ravenous, and unforgiving, black holes are among the most massive, and most puzzling questions of modern physics. So what would happen if one were to attempt to create such a singularity from death metal? What would happen if one attempted to find the Swarzchild radius of deathcore? What twisted, impossibly redshifted sounds would spill forth from its accretion disc? Metaphors aside, is there a physical limit to punishing, unfettered heaviness? With their new sophomore record, Spokane, Washington-based deathcore aficionados ENTERPRISE EARTH seem worryingly eager to find out.
Luciferous, without further ado, is difficult to quantify. To start with, it signals a distinct change in approach for ENTERPRISE EARTH. While they have not in any way abandoned the tenacity or grinding atmosphere that they so aptly displayed on their promising debut, Embodiment, the new album, from the very beginning, displays a fresh atonal and unsettling atmosphere, before launching into its audible assault. And to say it is an assault is putting things lightly. ENTERPRISE EARTH quite obviously draws significant influence from their peers, and with this new album, they stand shoulder to shoulder with giants. But to put things bluntly, if WHITECHAPEL, a band forming a reasonable comparison in terms of style and content, was embodied as a sharp punch to the face, Luciferous could be summarised as a savage beating in the filthiest alley behind the seediest bar in town.
The album boasts an atmosphere of apocalyptic tones. It reeks of insidious and arresting harmonies that inspire visions of a burning world, and does well to convey such an atmosphere throughout the album. Luciferous does its utmost to overwhelm the listener in violent, sonically provoking walls of sound, such as the main verse of the album’s opener, or the blast beat bridge of its closer. In these fiery expulsions of sound, the band can also convey a deeper, more melodious and uplifting sense of intensity, such as the choruses of tracks such as Failsafe Fallacy, or We Are Immortal, a juxtaposition that only adds to the ferocity of the overall product as it swings from soaring highs to crushing lows.
It would be remiss to neglect mentioning a new addition to the band. Hailing from the talented deathcore outfit DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR, guitarist Gabe Mangold has stepped forward to join ENTERPRISE EARTH on lead guitar duties, and with apparent ease, breathes new, blistering life into the album. Once the album opener, Behold, Malevolence reaches its crescendo, the listener is subjected to a tasteful exhibition of virtuosity in the form of a solo that evokes memories of Ralph Santolla-era DEICIDE, shifting from expertly phrased bends to neo-classically determined fret-board runs. It is a level of playing that is difficult to rival, and with each and every song forming a dizzying showcase of arpeggios, alternate picking, and undeniably brilliant writing, it sets Mangold high above even the upper echelons of the genre’s shredding talent. His input adds new dimensions of melody, pace, and impetus to the album, and the band benefit greatly from his additions.
The rest of the album is delivered in the same impeccable quality. The guitars and bass are characterised by a well-rounded, digitally tinged tone that perfectly balances the crisp sound of modern production with the deep, rumbling resonance of analogue amplification, providing a breathtakingly wide sonic landscape. Beneath all of this, blast beats and tightly syncopated rhythms dominate, allowing Luciferous to capture stunning speed, such as during the bridge of the album’s closer, There Is No Tomorrow, along with thudding grooves to balance the pacing. And of course, Dan Watson continues to prove that he is one of the most proficient vocalists in the genre, giving giants such as Phil Bozeman cause to worry. This is an album that certainly does not do its components a disservice.
Luciferous isn’t difficult to define. It doesn’t demand the listener embark on an introspective journey just to discern some vague meaning from the band’s work. It is an explosion of emotion – raw, pure, and uninhibited – that grips the listener from start to finish. It is a concentrated mass of fury, horror, and pure tone. Albums like this do not come around often. Few manage to do so much so well with such consistency. ENTERPISE EARTH have touched on something truly special here. Much like the aforementioned black holes, it is impossibly heavy, an all-consuming singularity towards which all things must slip and slide and fall. Luciferous doesn’t add much to the arsenal of deathcore – nor death metal, for that matter – but it is the genre at its absolute apex as the heaviest, darkest, and most sonically violent. Much like a black hole, beyond this point, no light shall escape.
Rating: 9/10
Luciferous is set for release on April 5th via eOne.
Like ENTERPRISE EARTH on Facebook.