This was my first ever encounter with French band Eryn Non Dae or END as they were originally known on forming in 2001. Previous to their Metal Blade debut they only have one EP to their name, 2005 release ‘The Never Ending Whirl Of Confusion’ and now I think about it that is a pretty good description of the music I have before me. It is pretty much unrelenting and it does confuse due to complexity and as for the whirl it’s like being caught in a whirlwind just before being spat out and landing in Oz. This is an album that if such things existed I would file under ‘apocalyptic metal,’ its akin to nuclear destruction and being dragged through a hedge backwards, it’s the sound of END of days!
After a mournful lament lasting seconds this explodes causing utter devastation by throwing each and every instrument and vocals loudly into the mix all at once in a wall of sound. Yep opening number of these ten ‘When Time Elapses’ has well and truly arrived. Vocals are not exactly sung but yelled, full throated and very much in your face by singer Mathieu Nogues. There is a slight respite when everything drops down a notch in the mix but it is one of only a few on the 55 minute disc. This is an album of rage, yep you can think 28 Days Later if you so wish as again that’s a movie equivalent, very much in line with the anger and that end of days theme I mentioned. It is also at times quite grandiose, swirling away like the aftermath of a bomb with dust settling and spreading radiation in its wake.
Sure it’s quite easy to name usual suspects here such as Neurosis, I am also as far as vocals and sonic structure are concerned reminded of Red Harvest and with the heavy riff assault of ‘Blistering Hate’ Godflesh and Dimension Hatross era Voivod and if you like (or should I say can take) any of those groups this should do the job for you. Bass stands out nice and thickly in the mix and there is a shuddering heaviosity about this in general with a groove laden edge that would have countrymen Gojira shaking in their boots. A moment of ambience is served up as a bridge at the albums midway point in the form of ‘Lam Tsol Oua’ but this is swiftly knocked down and stomped on by ‘Through Dark Skies’ a raging storm of a number which destroys all in its path.
If you want an album to batter you senseless for the running time or maybe one after a particularly bad day at work in preparation to returning and going postal, check this out. It isn’t one for a day when you are happy, content and everything is right in the world. Hell do those exist anyway? With that in mind I will probably get a fair few listens out of this in the future and I would certainly be interested in watching this lot fire out some of these tunes of disharmony live.
http://end.1.free.fr
http://www.myspace.com/end1freefr
