Review Enbound - And She Says Gold 2011

"And she says Aurum" is Swedish Enbounds debut album. An album that, like gold, comes with an speed of sound in 2030 ms and a strenght of 120 MPa. That means it's a power metal album that mixes songs in an extreme tempo that boils at 5173 with more sensible ballads that makes you melt at an humble 1947,52. The band shapes songs with a better precision than a goldsmith and have melodies with a value greater than a stone of 24 carat gold. In other words, this is an album you really should take a better look at.

The chemical number of gold is 79, which also happens to be the collective age of this band... Actually, I have no idea if that's true. I only said so because it sounded good. However, about a month ago I wrote that it really can be anything but a dream to be a music reviewer. That goes the other way around as well. It can be a dream too. Like when bands like Enbound comes around, because they make it seem as a pretty small price to pay, to force yourself through albums that honestly isn't even worthy to burn. Because what Enbound does is to mine enough gold to make wedding rings for 5000 starving men, women and children. And they have gold enough to alone carry a new wave of power metal on their shoulders just like Atlas carries the Earth.

At first, Enbound might feel like another of these new power metal bands that are good but isn't strong enough to last the longer runs. But where Malison Rogue got the bitter comment that it "isn't something I need to hear" and Myland that they are "a safe path for missing out on the really good" and Avian was compared to "the elephant mans face in the form of music" - Enbound takes home the finest medals of them all with their super strong songs and appealing music. Even though there isn't anything in particular that they do extra great when they sing and play, the overall performance is so impressing that they are worthy their weight in gold. Especially the melodies.

'And She Says Gold' have the foundation in drummer and creator of the band, Mike Cameron Force who carries the album forward with his drumming like a husky dog pulls a sledge over the icy fields of the arctics. The drums gets very obvious as they take the complete tour on the drum set and doesn't stick to the bass drums like 90% of all power metal. The guitars are mostly played quite simple but have a great feel and drive, which appeal to your neck muscles and makes your head start to bounce around along with the bass tones. In the background we can hear some keyboards carefully taking a step out from behind the fathers leg where they've hidden from the scary listener. And on top of all this is the powerful vocals of the musical experienced Lee Hunter, and with powerful I don't necceccary mean it's super good but that he has a very strong voice that is very significant in the music. Not always seamless laid along with it, but mostly a huge access. Generally the album is played in high speed, though it can also calm down to a tempo worthy a relaxation tape. And the thing that sparkles most in the pile of rocks that Enbound have chopped up is the fantastc melodies. Instrumentally I'd say it's more of a unit than individual skills that makes it good, even though some nuggets can be found in the panning.

Songs like the introducing Combined the Sould, Noisless Bullet, Frozen to Be and the concluding Me and Desire are absolutely fabolus tracks with choruses that are worthy your soul. The ballad The Broken Heart is an orchestrally arranged oasis in the violently fast metal they otherwise play. The bonus track cover of Michael Jacksons Beat It at the very end of the European release is really good! I think it's a matter of taste whether you like it better than the original or not, but I assume every hard rocker out there think this kicks the ass out of the King of pop.

The album really lacks obvious weaknesses. But if we were to magnify the ones that are there I would say it's their way to keep the music a bit to simple and straight forward at times. Before we go any further I only want to make it clear that I don't think the album is monotounus, only that I think it can be a little too direct in some songs. Like they though "bang, boom - straight to the point!", or something. However, I would say the biggest weakness comes from the way too long playin time, which is a result of 13 songs (plus a bonus track if you're European) and almost the hour in total playing time. Why do bands make albums this long? I just can't understand that. They have nothing to gain from putting Three-Four songs extra on the album which isn't gold and only makes the album longer than it actually needs to be.

We shouldn't keep too long at the weaknesses of this album, because the weaknesses actually are quite weak to be definied as weaknesses. What we have here is instead one of the best albums of the year! It's genuine, well played, striking and straight trough worthy to hear. On E-bay they would get a sixt gold star (or H), which is the highest score any album have recieved from me this year so far! 'And She Says Gold' is an album that can glorify your life and once again put power metal at the top of our hard rock interests, Shortly put it's worthy its weight in gold!

HHHHHHH

Enbound And She Says Gold

Enbound
And She Says Gold