Losing a vocalist is never easy. Losing a vocalist who is the last remaining original member of the band and was a key songwriter with a distinctive voice is an event that would be the end of most bands. ENTERPRISE EARTH are not most bands though. Showcasing a remarkable level of resilience, not only have they managed to get a new singer quickly, but got one that has turned them from a top tier deathcore band to one of the most exciting metal bands of today. Previous effort The Chosen saw comparisons to TRIVIUM and GOJIRA thrown about and was a massive step up in the group’s sound and scope, so new vocalist Travis Worland needed to not only hit the ground running but land at a sprint to keep the band’s momentum going.
Ambitious isn’t the word for what ENTERPRISE EARTH have attempted (and, spoiler, succeeded at doing) on this record. Not content with being simply another deathcore band with some added bells and whistles, what we have here is a mind-bending mix of some not so subtle MESHUGGAH worship, NWOBHM guitar solos and some of the best clean vocals you’ll ever hear on a record this crushingly heavy.
Across a litany of themes and at times, shockingly grandiose movements, the band evoke many emotions, from the desire to become a bull in a china shop and smash up everything in the vicinity (perfectly demonstrated on the begging for a pit number that is Malevolent Force) to moments of reflection and pondering the nature of life and indeed death itself. Another standout feature of this record is its cohesiveness. Not simply a collection of tracks and breakdowns, it ebbs and flows between beauty and disgust, from the scathing delivery of “You spineless sack of festering shit” in Spineless, which is an early contender for line of the year, to the (whisper it) djenty MESHUGGAH worship of King Of Ruination (which sounds like a deathcore version of the cult classic Rational Gaze) and finally to a head-scratching, stop you in your tracks instrumental that invokes PRIMUS. It never feels disjointed and tracks don’t simply feel tacked on for effect. A lot is to be said for the power of a well-sequenced record and it’s incredibly obvious that the band took this seriously.
Aside from the aforementioned influences of Jens Kidman and co., there’s more than a small amount of OPETH worship on this record, from the more progressive-minded arrangements to the driving guitars which aim to take you on a journey of their own. Gabe Mangold has spoken before about the Swedish prog giants’ influence on his music and there’s moments in here that bring to mind the heavier moments on classic records like Ghost Reveries.
In a record of stunning highs, the peak comes in the form of the last two tracks. Blood And Teeth and Curse Of Flesh are simply magnificent, in both their scope and execution. Worland channels some angelic vocals alongside some piano for what, at first listen, sounds like a deathcore power ballad. It’s a lot more than that though, as you’re taken on an emotive journey that you will scarcely believe. Mixing the lightning fast melodic death verse stylings of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER with the pained, wistful yet soaring melodies of Mikael Akerfeldt with reckless abandon, they create something that, in a genre so stifled, is near unique.
With this record, the band now sit amongst the likes of FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and WHITECHAPEL, bands who push at the confines of deathcore and are aiming much higher. There’s genuine ambition shown here and 2024 looks likely to be the year that ENTERPRISE EARTH become not only one of the best deathcore bands around, but one of the most promising metal bands in the scene today. There are one or two tracks which could benefit from perhaps losing some of the more lengthy instrumental sections and undoubtedly Worland‘s vocal dynamics won’t appeal to everyone, but for those who undertake the journey, they’ll bear witness to one of early contenders for one of the best records of the year.
Rating: 9/10
Death: An Anthology is set for release on February 2nd via MNRK Heavy.
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