Rockfreaks.net

Engraved Disillusion

Desolate EP

Written by: PP on 19/12/2009 18:49:39

Hailing from the small town of Wellington in Somerset, UK, Engraved Disillusion have been turning some heads at live shows while promoting their debut EP "Desolate" around the country. They don't have any label support, yet they've already sold 1000 copies of the three track EP, which is an impressive number in itself, but made even more so because of its DIY status. I suspect that's about to change rather soon, however, because "Desolate" has all the ingredients of a record that'll stir up some label interest relatively quickly.

"Desolate" basically offers a purified version of Gothenburg-inspired melodic death metal. The riffing generally recalls Dark Tranquillity's "Character" and "Fiction" eras with a couple of fitting nods toward At The Gates and In Flames as well, but Dark Tranquillity is overwhelmingly the name that keeps popping up while listening to the record, mostly because of the solid, snarly growls that provide the melodic soundscape with some harsh contrast. So why do I call it purified? Well, because it's completely devoid of any metalcore elements. It's oddly refreshing to hear a pure melodeath album instead of a metalcore album that just borrows heavily from the genre. With metalcore being the genre in the headlines, this gives an edge for Engraved Disillusion because there are so few strictly melodeath bands around these days.

The first track, "From Sorrow To Serenity", is over 6 minutes long but only contains around 2 minutes' worth of vocals. Then it's time for some blistering solos and an overload on melody for the rest of the song. While I'll readily admit that the extended instrumental passage is quite cool, and technically proficient as well, the song definitely could've done with some growls on top. That's why the title track immediately sounds better, because it combines the awesome instrumentals and the harsh, echoing growl together for a surprisingly good melodeath track for a band that's just starting out. Some praise must go to the production, though, because it's as close to perfect as it gets for a melodeath release: the soundscape has been tuned just right, not too tight or too loose, to allow for crystal-clear, sweeping instrumentals that have enough room to breathe and expand without the risk of sounding hollow or inflated. But really, the gem of the disc is "A Fallen Redemption", which should bring back to mind the best moments from your favorite melodeath bands; and why not even remind you of the sheer awesomeness of a band like Darkest Hour? I'll bet that by the time these guys are ready with a full length's worth of songs, they'll be comfortably releasing it on a label Europe-wide. Any takers?

Download: A Fallen Redemption
For the fans of: Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates, In Flames, Darkest Hour
Listen: Myspace

Release date 05.06.2009
Self-Released