Bloody hell, Belgium, leave some for the rest of us, will you? The surge of bands coming from this country are all consistent in quality, with the likes of Amenra and Oathbreaker all setting the benchmark high. This surely would have made it tough for Ghent five piece, Eleanora, to release a debut that would have made any sort of impact. However, a split with aforementioned Amenra and an EP are already under their belts, so they’re well versed in all things doom, sludge, post-metal and hardcore, and ‘Allure’ smashes any preconceptions that listeners may have had.
The four tracks of ‘Allure’ are all heavy in range and progression; the 45 minute period they span take in trudging bulk and expressive tone, but add earnestness and compact riffs. Pristine production quality allows for the thickness of the guitars to rest atop resonant bass and powerful drums in order to pack a real clout. The vocals are startling; throat-shredding, vehement deranged screeches that are as uncomfortable to listen to as they are impressive.
You may find yourself reading this and thinking “isn’t this just an Amenra rip off?” Well, no. Excellent song writing and the ability to cherry-pick from doom, screamo, post-hardcore and sludge, and still retain a clear and consistent personality sets them alongside their peers, but does not make them carbon copies. This record breaks no new ground, but is august in its scale and eminence; rough around the edges but still spellbindingly beautiful.
(9/10 Angela Davey)
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