Posted on: September 24, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

There have been a lot of mixtures of emo and hardcore to hit the market in the last few years. Enlow can be called a success. There are equal parts of both genres throughout “The Recovery”, and an opening track lke “Drawing The First Line” really shows a complex style underlying what is actually a fun track. To sart off, there are so many things happening regarding the instrumental side of things on this disc, with a hodgepodge of different sounds and styles influencing the creation of Enlow’s music. For example, one can hear A Static Lullaby, Converge, Brand New and even a hint of Lamb of God floating around the stew of influences on “In The Face of Uncertainty”.

When the band really gets off the ground on tracks like “Confronting The Malice Tongue”, Enlow cannot be touched. The catchy chorus that opens up the track leads into an utterly brutal guitar/drum dynamic that will give listeners chills. Even considering the fact that there is a definite framework to this track, the band has seemed to distill their very essence into the track; this is not rational but rather an ultimate expression of emotion. The guitars may not be cutting-edge on “The Recovery” but they are extremely well thought-out and not placed in there just to show listeners how nuanced the band can play.

The lack of extraneous information on this disc makes Enlow a much more svelte creature and allows listeners to focus on what really matters on the album. The drumming that is present on “Stand Up and Face Your Fears” shows a talent that has the drums transform themselves into something that resembles a motorcycle running rather than some individual hitting the skins. Throwing in a little hair-metal influence to the guitars on the track, Enlow pulls together this track, which is diverse without being scattered to the winds. There are sections on each of the tracks during “The Recovery” that individuals can see are made for rock radio, but the vast majority of songs and sections of songs here are just too intense to be pandered to a mass market. Enlow is a thinking person’s band, and the density of tracks on “The Recovery” ensure that the album will be on heavy rotation until individuals feel that they’ve solved Enlow’s riddle. Without any noticeable flaws, “The Recovery” is a rare example of an album that rocks from beginning to end without faltering once.

Top Tracks: Calling Out The Oppressor, Confronting The Malice Tongue

Rating: 5.7/10

Enlow – The Recovery / 2006 Blood & Ink / 9 Tracks / http://www.enlowrock.com / http://www.bloodandinkrecords.com / Reviewed 17 February 2006

[JMcQ]

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