For a band that has been billed as ‘Ensiferum on steroids’ in the past, you can certainly say that I was expecting great things as I sat down to listen to them – and needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed.
Enthring have crafted their own unique sound, drawing influences from many genres, and quite simply The Grim Tales Of The Elder is a joy to listen to and is a thoroughly engaging piece.
After a good, solid start the band throw out an absolute blinder as a third track, Mellowheart. A track that grabs you from the outset, the almost groove-filled introduction will have you headbanging along from the word go and the synth/orchestral lines are so gloriously epic that it’s an injustice to merely listen to the track once before moving onto the next – there’s no way you can take everything in on one listen alone.
Citadel is a bit of a mini-epic. Starting with a more folky feel, the atmosphere just builds and builds as more instruments get added and when the vocals kick in, it’s like the icing on top of the cake and makes for an absolutely incredible piece. Definitely the highlight of the album – if there’s a song that sums up Enthring, this is it.
The Grim Tales Of The Elder is a mini masterpiece, pure and simple. This band is surely going places, just you wait and see.
9/10
