Band:	Enthring
Album:	The Grim Tales Of The Elder
Style:	Melodic death metal, Symphonic metal
Release date:	October 2011

01. I, The Exiled
02. Silent Chanter
03. Mellowheart
04. Rend Me Asunder
05. Citadel
06. The Last Heartbeat Of An Era
07. The Vengeance Orchestra
08. The Grim Tales Of The Elder

Well I'll be damned. Independent bands can pull of orchestral without it sounding like crap. In fact, it's actually pretty difficult to believe Enthring did this without any bigger label backing them. The riffs are mature, the symphonic bits don't sound too obviously synthy (most of the time), and the overall song writing just sounds like a band that's been around longer than 5 years.

It's an album that does have a very identifiable sound, but is difficult to fit into a neat little box. Some could say this is folk metal in the same vein as Ensiferum, but with more aggressive black metal parts thrown in. Some of the keys and heroic leads that come bursting through wouldn't sound out of place in a power metal album. Let's not be mistaken though - this is a supremely aggressive album beneath all the epic melodies. Think of it this way; if bands like Ensiferum and Equilibrium appeal to you, then Grim Tales... is right up your alley. As a bonus, it's still got a decent amount of rough-edges, which definitely makes Enthring much more of a steamroller than some of their over-polished contemporaries.

*adjusts glasses and takes large heave from a puffer*

On closer inspection, the mixing does seem a bit strange. There's so much going on between the thick riffs and the even thicker synths, it's not uncommon to see some aspects, namely the vocals, get completely buried and obscured. However, that's on meticulous inspection; if you're too busy rocking out to the great song writing (which you should be), then the minor production flaws just add more character to the whole thing.

Enthring certainly have a full-length debut to be proud of here. This isn't one of those "Oh, isn't that cute, a debut? I suppose I'll be nice to them..." type reviews, no sir. Submitted to the same scrutiny other revered names are in this genre, this is a band that really holds its own and then some.