Showing posts with label Shai Hulud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shai Hulud. Show all posts

5 April 2015

ENTHEOS SHOW THEMSELVES AS WORTHY SUCCESSORS TO ANIMOSITY'S THRONE


Reviewing a release like Entheos' Primal EP is a difficult thing, ever since Evan Brewer announced his departure from the infamous Tech Death group The Faceless I was half begging for the bassist to reform San Fran Deathcore legends Animosity and with Entheos, that is basically what he has done. It would be rather safe to say that I am perhaps a little too invested in Primal.

...All that said, I would be amiss not to talk about it.

In a very real way Primal is exactly what everyone expected from Entheos and in that way alone could it be said to be disappointing. Considering all but one member of the band hails from the aforementioned Animosity, it is not surprising that Entheos sound rather a lot like the later works of their precursor. Animosity were known (or not as the case may be) as an OG Deathcore band, and are one of the few, in my mind, that successfully merged Deathcore and Hardcore into one whole. In the same way 90s Metalcore ala Earth Crisis, Deadguy, Shai Hulud and similar were Hardcore bands playing Slayer, Animosity were a Hardcore band playing Cannibal Corpse; they took the technical aggression of Death Metal and added Hardcore elements to an even greater extent than Suffocation did before them.

It was a very different world back then, when genre names actually had some basis in the music being played and Screamo didn't just mean angsty Pop-Rock.

As has already been said Entheos share many similarities with Animosity, especially their Animal era, though the Hardcore influence has been lessened somewhat. These riffs from Entheos are equal parts pin-point precision technicality and bone breaking, ear destroying heaviness. Guitarist Frank Costa has seemingly lost nothing since his days in Animosity. The rhythm section is comprised of technical and progressive heavy weights Even Brewer and Navene Koperweis. Since their time in Animosity Brewer played bass with The Faceless and Koperweis drums with Animals As Leaders, there are arguably few better places that each could further refine their chops. It is possible that the perfectly balanced production makes it more obvious than the murky fuzz of old Animosity albums, but Evan Brewers bass work reaches dizzying heights on this release. Never content to keep it simple, Brewer manages to find new and interesting ways to match the progressive ferocity of Costa's riffs. The EP’s name sake track, Primal, shows perhaps the best example of this, where Brewer unleashes a slap bass part unparalleled in modern Death Metal. Koperweis’ beats fit in perfectly too, with drum patterns often sounding deceptively simple when compared to their actual complexity. Some of those timings make my head spin. If you don’t believe me, check out this play through:


The odd player out in Entheos, is vocalist Chaney Crabb, who isn’t just in the band because she’s dating Navene Koperweis. Her vocals are absolutely monstrous and Veil of Maya really missed out when they didn’t hire her after Brandon Butler left in 2014. Her audition performance was so good it was considered news worthy by Metal Injection and it’s not hard to see why. Crabb is a great choice to front the second coming of Animosity and I’m sure Veil of Maya are regretting their choice now.

As I said before the only complaint that can be truly leveled at the Primal EP from Entheos is that a band comprised of mainly members of Animosity, sounds basically like Animosity. For those who have missed Animosity has much as I have, this EP is a perfect return to the heights of that band. For those who have never heard of Animosity and like heavy music that knows how to groove as well as tech the fuck out… well where the hell have you been. Don’t wait another second, listen to the Primal EP... and then some Animosity.

4.5/5