ALBUM REVIEW: Where Truth May Lie – Enemy Of Reality

Life in Ancient Greece can’t have been a picnic, mythologically speaking. If not the gods themselves sizing you up for suitably ironic punishment, there were all manner of horned or half-human creatures in the queue behind them. On the plus side, the stories people would tell of your mangled corpse would do the rounds for literal ages.

Now three albums deep into a decade-long career, ENEMY OF REALITY have more pedigree than a three-headed dog when it comes to weaving tales of antiquity through symphonic metal. The Greek four-piece’s sophomore effort, Arakhne, was an adventure in bar-setting when it came to conceptual storytelling, and now Where Truth May Lie enters stage right with a tough act to follow.

Thankfully, there’s zero doubt from the off that it can command the same stage presence. Opening track Final Prayer sets the scene to strong effect; a rising curtain reveals an archaic city as though it were sprawling out in front of your very eyes. Throughout the entire album, this attention to detail in the mix is front and centre; the effort taken to create something that feels as immersive as a concept album can be is bordering on obsessive.

Take Downfall, for instance, where there are actual ancient instruments on display; the whining reed of an aulos matching up against blast beats doesn’t seem like a winning partnership on paper, but the balance is immaculate here. Immediate follower At The Edge Of Madness boasts similarly traditional stringed instruments weaving historic emphasis, while trading blows with a pounding drumline and weighty guitar breakdown. All of this meticulously tinkered sound is fronted by soprano vocals from Iliana Tsakiraki who, simply put, is a force to be reckoned with. Her voice fills every gap left in your ears and drives home the plot points with both flair and simple power – the closing barrage of high notes in The Vineyard Song can be savoured like the wine they’re championing.

For all the soaring and occasionally broadening scope compared to their previous efforts – there are splashes of noticeable progressive metal, adding another dimension to the ethereal side of things in Deliverance – there’s still time for something on the heavy side. The surprisingly jaunty intro to Ever Lusting buries the lede for some down-tempo moodiness, replete with growling accompaniment to sell the dirty deal it’s peddling. Meanwhile, Goat-Legged Deceiver initiates the final chapters with aplomb, thundering bass and intense guitar that barrel toward the conclusion of the tale. To describe it doesn’t quite cover the feel of being part of the world Where Truth May Lie introduces – each song stands alone perfectly well, but together they’re a complete experience that requires full attention, let alone demands it.

A pulse-pounding measure of an epic told in the most dramatic fashion possible, Where Truth May Lie has strong claim to a benchmark of just how high symphonic metal can fly. The talent on board and the storytelling alone would have been impressive, but the invoked imagery feels hand painted and as finely detailed as any Grecian urn, a tale that is fully realised in the mind’s eye with pictures as sharp as the day it was crafted. ENEMY OF REALITY have spun a yarn that will live as a measurement of their accomplishments – and will no doubt inspire others who come after it.

Rating: 9/10

Where Truth May Lie is out now via Vinyl Store.

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