It’s all been rather quiet for a while from Greek Symphonic Metal band Enemy Of Reality. After releasing their debut back in 2014, their impressive follow-up “Arkhne” arrived in 2016, but since then a native language single a couple of years ago was all I’d seen from the band. But sometimes things take time, and these complex concept albums don’t write themselves do they? The story this time is a fictional one, involving a Priest in ancient Greece, who’s trying to find answers for certain tragic events that destroyed his life, while several mythical forest creatures (known in Greek Mythology as Satyrs) claim that the only truth is hidden in music, dance, wine and erotic pleasures. Thanks to the record company for providing that little insight.
The Greek Mythology twist is important in the band’s sound however, because Enemy Of Reality like to personalise their own brand of Symphonic Metal with traditional elements, traditional stringed instruments, and even an old Greek wind instrument (Apparently an Avlos), which all together really does give the band’s music a unique edge – like the violin intro to ‘On The Edge Of Madness’ for instance. There is orchestration on parts of the album, but I was happy to hear that the band would rather introduce traditional solo instruments rather than bury their songs in swathes of orchestra like Epica or Xandria for example have had a tendency to do. Basically, Enemy Of Reality make Metal the priority and use the Symphonic as an embellishment, as it should be.
The band’s core 4-piece line-up has been stable since their inception back in 2013, meaning soprano vocal powerhouse Iliana Tsakiraki has been allowed to audibly grow in confidence with each release, and this time around she’s able to display a maturity in pushing her own vocal sound forward, rather than relying on the operatic side of her voice. It also means the full-on operatic moments have greater impact and means the songs have further depth, giving further contrast to the occasional backing grunts. There’s plenty of memorable vocal and musical hooks on this album, and the slightly starker-than-usual-for-this-style production actually helps the band as it pushes the guitars and vocals further forward and leaves more space for the band to introduce their own distinctive style. It’s nice to hear this band’s Greek heritage shining through on this album, giving them a true identity.
(7.5/10 Andy Barker)
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