Hey there fellow tech fiends, are you ready for another weekly offering of blastbeats and (no) chill? I've got an early stream of the fantastic new album from Enfold Darkness for you today. With more early exclusive streams locked in for the next two editions after this one. But before we dive into discussing Adversary Omnipotent, here's the usual weekly reminder that if you're looking for more new music, all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
Maybe it's the nostalgic part of me, but I still have a lot of fond memories from 2009 when the first Enfold Darkness album, Our Cursed Rapture, came out and made waves in the death metal scene. It seems I'm not alone in feeling that way, as many of you have been patiently waiting for a follow-up to it as much as I have ever since the debut dropped. Now that the group's sophomore album, Adversary Omnipotent, is almost out, I can confidently say after spinning it a ton that this album is a fucking gem. Adversary Omnipotent is not only every bit as good as their well received 2009 debut, I'd argue it's actually an even stronger release than that one, and quite the evolution for the group as musicians and songwriters as well.
If you've been living under a rock, or you're a newer fan to the tech-death world, Enfold Darkness have a distinct style all their own that's split up between a mix of furious melodic death metal, cold and dark black metal, and some shred heavy tech-death. Supporting, and in between those main facets of their sound, the band adds in a symphonic layer to their music alongside some proggy moments at times where the music takes a break from full-throttle intensity and explores a more spacious and lush vibe. The interesting thing about this release that always comes to my mind when jamming it is the sense of uniformity in sound and quality that's retained throughout, made even more notable due to their adventurous nature of blending all their various sides together in different combinations throughout the release. Often that's a recipe for being overly ambitious and biting off more than one can chew, but clearly, Enfold Darkness is not your average group shooting for the stars without the ability to pull off their vision with the execution and talent needed to do so.
If you want an idea of what Adversary Omnipotent has to offer, imagine what it would sound like if The Black Dahlia Murder and Arsis introduced a black metal side to their sound, while upping the technicality into tech-death realms, and then added further layers to the songs on the symphonic and prog side of things. The end result is stunning and quite unique within a solidly technical death metal framework overall. From the outstanding vocals and gnarly backing vocals from several members to the killer and infinitely varied guitar work from the riffing to the solos, the powerful presence of the thoroughly audible bass guitar work found in every song, and the machine-like killer drumming assault, every member of Enfold Darkness contributes a jaw-dropping performance to Adversary Omnipotent that's well worthy of praise. Combine all of those collective talents into the singular force that is Enfold Darkness, and you've got something memorable on your hands that stands apart from the pack as a voice all its own that truly deserves accolades for the top shelf experience it has to offer.
Adversary Omnipotent is an ambitious album if that point didn't seem crystal clear thus far, and yet, even with its lengthy 77-minute run-time, I can honestly say I love this album from start to finish and never feel like it has a weak moment or noticeably weaker songs at any given point. I suppose if it's going to take awhile to come to fruition, the band wanted to make it worth our wait, and they did damn good in achieving that aim. So jam our early stream of Adversary Omnipotent below, and if you dig it, the album drops this Friday, July 14th through The Artisan Era and can be ordered through the label's site here, and also through The Artisan Era Bandcamp page as well. If for some reason you aren't already following the band, be sure to give them a like and follow over on the Enfold Darkness Facebook Page.
