Release date: 14th April 2023
One of the things I love about attending Dark Easter Metal Meeting every year is that although I may not be familiar with all of the bands, I always leave the festival as a fan of several more bands. After checking out all the bands I didn’t know prior to the event taking place, I knew I had to catch oriental metal outfit Eridu after being seriously impressed by the recorded material I heard – and I’m so glad I did because their live show was something to behold, and they were one of my highlights of the festival.
The band have just released their second album, entitled Enuma Elish, a concept album based on the Babylonian creation myth of the same name, and it’s fair to say that this is a mini epic. The music is almost hypnotic, really drawing you in, and creates a highly immersive listen.
With plenty of stunning elements to sink your teeth in, there’s no shortage of powerful inclusions, and an early highlight is third track Reign Supreme which features chunky guitarwork and a serious earworm of a riff. The momentum for this track is insane, and really helps to keep things moving. Additionally later track Clay, Blood And Vengeance is similarly powerful with melodic lines juxtaposing nicely against the chugging guitars and nigh-on frenetic vocals.
The way Eridu plays metal music with an oriental twist is sublime – I’ve always wanted to find more bands in a similar sort of vein to Finland’s Whispered, and Eridu scratch that itch very nicely. Enuma Elish is a powerfully stunning offering, showcasing Eridu at the top of their game – whilst their debut is excellent, their sophomore album takes them to new heights.
