Engraved Disillusion were formed in early 2008 in Taunton, Somerset from a mutual love and ‘understanding of the cornerstones of extreme metal.’ They claim to be inspired by the likes of At The Gates, Black Sabbath, Dream Theatre and Candlemass. They aimed to cement themselves into the local scene by releasing their debut EP Desolate in late 2009 for free. The band have played all over the UK with bands such as The Eyes Of A Traitor, Cinders Fall, Enemy Reign and Tessaract and Embers Of Existence was produced and mixed by Stu McKay who has previously worked with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon.
The ten track album commences with ‘Wither Away’ which suggests the scale to which Engraved Disillusion want the record to sound. The echoes and exaggerated noises give the track an epic feel although nothing musically occurs until thirty seconds into the forty five second long track. With a dynamic riff slowly emerging from the seemingly random placement of noises, the track blends into As Life Fades perfectly, reflecting how well produced the record is. Light speed drumming and a continuous riff build tension into unmistakably metal vocals which unify seamlessly with the harsh instrumentation. The poignant solo and powerful vocals within this track mark the large and demanding sound Engraved Disillusion dream of.
‘The Forgotten’ opens with another quick riff and hits you like a speeding train. Dynamic and powerful, it is uncompromising and commanding. It is obvious the band are mature enough to have worked hard on concluding precisely what type of music they intend to release and their fast progression has allowed them to savour their pallet for further achievement. Although it may not be to everyone’s taste, Engraved Disillusion are very good at what they do and have arena filling potential due to their ambitious sound quality. But, most of The Forgotten is made of up one guitar solo, and however spectacular it may or may not be, it is incredibly tedious and repetitive.
The band is clearly passionate about what they do, reflected by how intense the record is and the fact that structural twists do not falter them musically. Brimming with yet more devastating drum beats and riffs, ‘Fragments Of A Memory’ conveys the record’s central themes of solitude, loss and inevitably some sort of salvation. Engraved Disillusion have stated that they aimed for a more ‘organic sound’ with ‘Embers Of Existence’ compared to their EP, which is interesting because of how overpowering each track is. Moreover, the quintet have produced some spine-tingling elements which are unfortunately tarnished by repetitive riffs that go on for so long that they make you roll your eyes in frustration and fail to be close to as good as metal melodic metal heavyweights Bullet For My Valentine and Avenged Sevenfold. The fading quality at the end of ‘Fragments Of A Memory’ is an aspect only effective at the very end of a record and therefore appears completely irrelevant for this particular track.
 |
| Engraved Disillusion: 'Embers Of Existence' (Artwork) |
‘Disengage’ commences with an unusual drumming sensation which showcases the band’s ability to be different and the gritty vocals of Chris Pugsley are punchy and poignant. ‘Epitaph’ is by far the best track on the album as it highlights the muscians’ talents and capabilities to hold a listener without vocal or lyrical input. Title track ‘Embers Of Existence’ is purely a letdown after the intensity of the previous instrumental track and the fact that the title track should arguably be the best makes it even weaker.
‘Embers Of Existence’s’ artwork was created by Colin Marks who has also worked with Scar Symmetry and Aborted, and the key element of fire implies what an uproar, in the best possible way, the record should be if the band truly aim to ‘enter the hearts and minds of metal fans worldwide.’ ‘Under Bloodred Skies’ start out with a start stop formation to build adrenaline within the listener, which it and the tempo differentiation fail to do. Penultimate track ‘Unhallowed Eyes’ depicts is a yawn from start to finish as everything included has been heard previously on the album, but ‘Solitude’ perfectly illustrates the various layers of musical input that the band are capable of, yet fail to portray through each song.
 |
| Engraved Disillusion |
With fresh and modern production and artwork, Engraved Disillusion are armed with all the ammunition they need to release a successful record. Yet the repetitive riffs and groove metal elements fail to excite.
2/5
No comments:
Post a Comment