Saturday 21 June 2014

Ennoea - PROARKHE - Album Review

Photo: Coming in August.....
The DEBUT album by Stoner/Psychadelic Death Metal band Ennoea.
PROARKHE.
Tracklisting to come soon!

Album Type: Album
Date Released: August 2014
Label: Exalted Woe

PROARKHE - track listing:

1.Before The Beginning
2.Rivers Of Infinite Possibility
3.Wretched Creature
4.Signs Of Uncertainty
5.Entropy (Demiurgos Part I)
6.Dream of the Endless (Demiurgos Part II)
7. - - (Bonus Track)

Bio:

Ennoea is a Stoner Death/Doom Metal band based in Pittsburgh PA

Band Members

Samantha Michelle Smith - Vocals, guitars, Drums

Review:

I first featured Ennoea back in March 2014 when I reviewed their debut demo – Listening To Silence. It literally made a huge impression on me with it's heavy as fuck style of crushing psychedelic stoner/doom/sludge/death metal riffs to stand out from the crowd. What was even more surprising that it was all down to one highly talented individual – Samantha.

She did everything on this release – Vocals, Instruments and Production. Damn could she play and sing. At first I thought I was listening to a male vocalist as Sam's vocals are heavy as hell. Menacing and brutal through out. Well Sam has kindly let me listen to Ennoea's debut album – PROARKHE – due to be released in August 2014 on Exalted Woe Records.

The album is another bone-crunching odyssey of heavy psych based Doom/Sludge/Stoner/Death Metal vibes with Sam on fine form through out. The first track – Before The Beginning – starts off with a heavy slow paced guitar riff that slowly flirts between Stoner Metal and dangerous Death Metal riffs. Then the drumming kicks in and all hell breaks loose. You don't see that many bands or artists blending Stoner Metal with Death Metal but Sam pulls this off conviction and a sense of purpose. It's a bleak ride but one you can't help slowly rocking out to. The vocals towards the end of the track will send your musical impulses into overdrive.

From this moment the album takes you on a journey full of delicious dark twists and turns where the music is your only guide into the darkness. Sam unleashes hell on earth with the vocals becoming more sinister along the way especially on 2nd track – Rivers Of Infinite Possibility. The album features a stirring mix of slow and fast paced riffs which expertly adds tension to the doomy atmospherics on the album. I can even detect hints of YOB on this track and that is no bad thing in my book.

PROARKHE runs for 33 mins or so. Maybe a little bit too short but it's a condensed and action packed experience that goes straight for the jugular. Most of the songs are instrumental as Sam goes straight for heavy precise riffs to thrill you with.

Though it's the later tracks where the album goes into overdrive with tales of despair and horror you can't turn away from. Especially on the two-part epic tracks - Entropy (Demiurgos Part I) and Dream of the Endless (Demiurgos Part II) which Sam lays down some highly impressive demonic based vocals and riffs.

The production is superb through out. I know that Sam is bit of an audio perfectionist when it comes to her work. She has work wonders here as the album sounds incredible for a debut album.

PROARKHE is an excellent album and this is hopefully the start of great things to come from Ennoea. Long may they reign!!!

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Sam for sending me a promo to review. The album will be available to buy from August 2014 on Exalted Woe Records.

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Written by Steve Howe