This is the third album from Italian band Ecnephias. “Inferno” comes from a deep, dark and melodic world. The pattern is set from “A Satana”. This is what the Germans would systematically classify as “Gothic”, in fact I was strongly reminded of Crematory in the flattish rhythms throughout this album. “A Satana” has a ghoulish sound, colourful guitar work and the steadiness of it also recalls a melodic Rotting Christ. There are some nice guitar touches and a faint sound of the East but in spite of the garnish, I didn’t find this track gripping or exciting.
By the third track “A Stealthy Hand of an Occult Ghost” I was starting to wonder where it was all going. The same melodic pattern is there, this time with a strong tinge of Septic Flesh, and it’s catchy, but the same stuff is being trotted out. To match the dark vocals and rhythms, there is a theatricality but I found the atmosphere confusing. “Buried in the Dark” has a moderately appealing rhythm but it’s all repeated ad infinitum and becomes tiresome. Those theatrical vocals just made it sound disorganised to me. It would help to have stronger melodies, and this is where Ecnephias are inferior to the aforementioned bands and to Paradise Lost, with whom comparison can also be made. The rhythms are steady and it’s never truly bad, but these songs simply don’t have an interesting structure, while those vocals reinforce the torpor and monotony.
“Voices of Dead Souls” starts off in mellow fashion and breaks into a sweat but it’s just too mechanical. My attention was waning and had been for most of the album. “Secret Ways” picks up a bit. It’s faster, melodic as usual, eccentric and theatrical, almost like an Italian cross between Graveworm and Bal Sagoth. This was more creative or at least it reached out with its creativity, which so far it hadn’t done. The rumbling beat and Crematorian Gothic feel are prevalent on the interesting “In My Black Church”. It neatly contrasts with the next track “Lamia” which is sinister, nightmarish and conjures grotesque images. The creativity of “Secret Ways” returns and is enhanced on the final track “Chiesa Nesa”. It’s stronger than some of the earlier unconvincing efforts and I liked it. The steadiness and dark vocals underpin it but it’s the touches – the piano, the smooth guitar rhythm and even the disconcerting laughter – provide the interest. It ends with an angelic chorus which really uplifted the track. “Chiesa Nesa” has qualities which to this point were missing for the most part.
I had a problem with the download of this album, which meant I had to listen to it in two separate bites but I don’t think this affected the continuity of this album. Basically this was a collection of dreary songs with too little interest for the most part to raise Ecnephias to the level of or above their Darkwave Gothic Metal peers. “Inferno” was either too steady and repetitive to be interesting or else it was too mixed up. The theatricality just didn’t work. It had good moments in it but overall there wasn’t enough originality, continuity or interest for me, I’m afraid.
http://www.ecnephias.com
Andrew Doherty
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