After driving in what felt like a monsoon to Albany and enjoying the vegan delights of Wizard Burger by the venue, it was a thrill to witness a top-notch deathcore show and check out Empire Underground finally. The venue is literally hidden down what feels like a back entrance tunnel of a complex and we weren’t sure if we were about to be robbed. It adds to the charm because soon you find yourself in a secret bunker for metalheads that feels like it is out of Cloverfield Lane.
I remember one-time reading Revolver magazine’s review for Through the Ashes of Empires and while it was a very positive piece the writer felt that despite being a great step forward it may have been too little, too late for Machine Head. Hard to believe now, but in those days some perceived Machine Head as being dead in the water following the more mainstream stylings of The Burning Red and the ill-timed Supercharger.
Although initially scheduled to play The Kingsland, popular demand upgraded this stacked metal lineup to the fabulous new and much larger Brooklyn Monarch.
Prog Metal Entheos band has returned with new music and a new lineup. ‘Remember You Are Dust’ is their new single and the band announced a major lineup change. With the departure of guitarist Travis LeVrier, Entheos plans to move forward as a duo; featuring current members Chaney Crabb on vocals and drummer Navene Koperweis taking the helm as a recording musician and primary songwriter for the drums, guitar, and bass. The group plans to incorporate a touring bassist and guitarist on future tours for the foreseeable future. More details can be found via the article seen here. Listen to the new track below.Continue reading
Capping off a huge year, Metal Blade artists Rivers of Nihil have announced a headline tour of the USA this spring. Once they are through on tour in Europe, opening for labelmates Revocation; they will embark on dates with Entheos, Conjurer, and Wolf King as direct support. The band released their acclaimed Where Owls Know My Name album last March, which went on to earn a Top 10 ranking Ghost Cult’s Album of The Year Countdown, landing at number nine! Continue reading
Rings Of Saturn will be hitting the road in March with Nekrogoblikon, Allegaeon, and Entheos. Continue reading
This November/December, Whitechapel will embark on a North American tour, entitled “Decade of Defilement”, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of The Somatic Defilement.Continue reading
In the world of extreme metal, Entheos is what the experts like to call a blue chip prospect. They’re fairly new (a year and some change, roughly), but they’ve already released the well-received Primal EP and have got some serious roadwork done with the likes of The Contortionist, The Black Dahlia Murder and Revocation. And about one year after the release of Primal, they’ve already cooked up their debut full length The Infinite Nothing (Artery Recordings).
With a work ethic like that it’s easy to understand the prized prospect status. But the secret to these young turks success also can be drawn from the members individual pedigrees. For starters, bass wunderkind Evan Brewer spent some quality time in The Faceless while drummer Navene Koperweis kept rhythm for Animals as Leaders. And before that they gigged in the underappreciated in their time Animosity. You may also remember vocalist and human furnace Chaney Crabb from Systems or the Veil of Maya audition video that made the internet rounds. Guitarist Malcolm Pugh is a one man band in A Loathing Requiem.
So you’re probably asking what The Infinite Nothing sounds like. It sounds exactly as how you imagine it. The Infinite Nothing is as fine as tech-death gets. Brutal slam and technical proficiency is dealt out in equal measure while wrapped in a vague sci-fi theme. The oddly titled ‘Bad Chemicals’ and lead single ‘Neural Damage’ are some stellar examples of technical finesse that still bludgeons the reptile brain.
And if you’re thinking it sounds like I just described Unique Leader’s entire catalogue, then you’re not entirely wrong. This is death metal with sci-fi sounding song titles. However unlike most in that quickly crowding field, there is an uncluttered feeling to Entheos’ style. ‘Mind Alone’ crushes like anything their contemporaries can muster, but not relying on studio trickery or heavy samples. Also kudos to Crabb on being a standout growler in a field full of mic cuppers. Think of her voice as an extra angry Mark Hunter from Chimaira who also just stepped on a tack before walking into the booth. Pugh rips into solos like a motivated Michael Keene, while Brewer’s bass acrobatics fill in for the lack of a second guitarist.
Noting their consummate hunger for work (long layoffs were Brewer’s reason to quit The Faceless), Entheos will continue to evolve and scale the extreme metal ladder. Wouldn’t doubt another strong release by next year.
8.0/10
HANSEL LOPEZ
[amazon asin=B01BTMIZH2&template=iframe image1]
