ALBUM REVIEW: Stare Into the Abyss – Enshadowed
Forming all the way back in 1998, ENSHADOWED are one of the many excellent black metal acts that have inexplicably slipped through the cracks and not gone on to enjoy the levels of acclaim that many of their fellow countrymen have. This is certainly through no fault of their own, as their fierce and melodic brand of black metal, drawing heavily from the classic Scandinavian sound for inspiration, sounds amazing, and all of their output to date, including their three full lengths, is a testament to this. Their latest album, Stare Into the Abyss, could very well change that, with this album featuring some of their finest music to date, marking them as one of the more impressive acts within the Greek underground scene.
An Aspect of Chaos goes straight for the jugular, with sharp melodies and chaotic drumming creating an impenetrably bleak affair. Shrieking vocals pierced through the mix, adding an acerbic note to the darkly catchy quality of the music, setting a lofty standard immediately on all fronts. The Great Animist ups the ante with rabid guitars and frenzied drum patterns, interwoven with grim vocals and hypnotic leads, which add an immersive and powerful edge to this song, drawing the listener in. It’s a layered, and visceral, piece of music that is enthralling from start to finish.
Beyond the Knowledge of Truth possesses a much more focused and punchy sound, with slick leads and precise drums, coupled with the acidic howl of the vocals, giving this song a leaner and suitably more aggressive sound, being quite evocative of mid-era MARDUK at points whilst still adding the bands own flavour to the proceedings. Blackened Mouth of Despair proves to be a more primal affair, with cavernous, minimalist drums and crawling guitar and bass lines creating a dark and monolithic sound with the barest of components. The music gradually gathers pace, without fully embracing the tumultuous tempos of the first three tracks, making for a great change of pace that adds depth to the albums sound in more ways than one.
Divided You Fall follows in much the same vein, with the guitars giving a melancholy tinged, ferocious aspect to the music, whilst the vocals take on a much more dramatic and engrossing and varied style, at times carrying the music just as much as the riffs, resulting in another excellent, effective slab of savage black metal. A Form of Agony, with its fuller chords and thicker bass tone, has a massive, robust sound right out of the gate, with the whole song dripping with palpable atmosphere that shrouds even the more cacophonous moments quite well. It’s a great song that balances both the energetic and sublime parts of the band’s sound extremely well. Entropy of Men takes the sound back down a far more ethereal route, with lighter, harmonious guitars coupling with some more frenetic moments and some truly arid vocal deliveries to give what is arguably this albums defining moment. It’s a magnificent, memorable and imaginative track that brings the album to a close on perhaps its finest moment.
This album is a great example of a classic band ageing incredibly well. Not too many bands, of any genre, can boast producing one of the best outings to date over two decades after their initial formation. Clearly, the seven year gap between this album and its predecessor has been used to work intently on the songwriting, as the band have never sounded tighter or leaner, leaving little in the way of room for filler or dullness. This is an album that sees ENSHADOWED reach their creative apex, and could see them establish themselves at the forefront of the Hellenic black metal scene.
Rating: 8/10
Stare Into The Abyss is out now via Odium Records.
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