Band:	Eryn Non Dae.
Album:	Abandon Of The Self
Style:	Post-metal
Release date:	March 09, 2018
A review by:	RaduP

01. Astral
02. Stellar
03. Omni
04. Eclipse
05. Halo
06. Fragment
07. Abyss

Is six years too much to wait for a new album? Will expectations following a spectacular release be so much that Abandon Of The Self is set to fail?

In case you're wondering what Eryn Non Dae means, it's just gibberish that the band came up with when they couldn't use the name END. Eryn Non Dae don't have such a large following but the one they have seems to hold them in very high regard, and it's not that difficult to see why, seeing as how Eryn Non Dae manage to create post-metal that feels like it has its own personality. Their last release, Meliora, did turn some heads, but the band felt like they needed to create something different from it instead of rehashing ideas, so six years later we get to Abandon Of The Self.

AOTS (not Album Of The Second) is first and foremost a post-metal album, but it would be doing it a disservice to limit its description to just that. It feels like more than just atmospheric sludge or a heavier version of post-rock, though it inclines more to the former. END take cues from a few different genres, like math or djent (the good kind, not the overly chuggy) or hardcore or industrial. But despite the heaviness of the aforementioned genres, AOTS is much mellower than its predecessor and more organic in sound. While I wouldn't call it an atmospheric album in any way, it still does manage to create ambiance.

Despite the album managing to create ambiance, the melody still takes center stage on AOTS. The songwriting is complex enough so that it feels like every note is carefully planned, but not so that it detracts and feels overly cacophonous or indulgent. The album knows how to manifest its fury in ways that feel tranquil, creating a wall of sound that doesn't overshadow the brilliant maelstrom of the instruments and also rewarding the patience of listeners who seek more than just instant gratification. The vocals may not be the best in post-metal, but they are certainly not one-dimensional, and the production is raw enough that it doesn't feel plastic but complete enough to let the listener appreciate the songwriting and textures in full, though it does feel like it could be improved.

Abandon Of The Self feels like an album that has been long in the making, carefully planned with attention to every detail. While the production and certain vocal sections do drag it down just a bit, It's still one of the most engaging and captivating post-metal albums I've heard lately.

Abandon yourself.