I want to take a moment to revisit Enterprise Earth’s album from earlier this year. At the time, many hailed it as an album of the year contender. My personal tastes have led me in slightly different directions, but it is certainly worthy of a top 20 spot.
If nothing else, I have to highlight that this album is eclectic. Calling it an “anthology” is very fitting – each song has its own style. Some might find it disjointed, but that’s the point. The unifying theme is variety. So much so that even after a dozen listens, I’m still discovering new sections that seem brand new. Although much heavier, I can’t help but think of Avenged Sevenfold when comparing the range and grandeur.
There are moments of devastating deathcore heaviness, blistering thrash metal guitar solos, progressive sequences, and everything else you can imagine. I hesitate to even call this deathcore – the sound is too expansive.
Making this album was a huge leap of faith. After parting ways with Dan Watson (ex-vocalist of Infant Annihilator and current vocalist of Mire Lore) in 2022, I wasn’t sure how Enterprise Earth would fare. Dan created the band and was part of its signature sound.
Gabe is incredible on the guitar, but I was skeptical of their new vocalist, Travis Worland, and I wasn’t sold on their 2022 album, ‘The Chosen.’ However, despite this being a significant departure from the band’s established sound, this album is among their best. Once I accepted that this version of Enterprise Earth is a completely different band than when Dan Watson was at the helm, I could appreciate all that ‘Death: An Anthology’ has to offer.
“Casket of Rust” has some influences from Slice The Cake, another incredible band that pushed the limits of progressive deathcore. “I, Divine” has an interesting song structure, often returning to the same hypnotic groove. “Curse of Flesh” has some very solid metalcore moments and Matt Heafy’s feature helps it soar to new heights.
But the real highlight for me is “Blood and Teeth.” It’s one of my favorite songs of 2024. The imperfect singing in the chorus is captivating and the ending is gnarly. It showcases the variety that exists throughout the album, bringing in sections of piano that some liken to Sleep Token.
Enterprise Earth have evolved in a way that most bands can only dream of. Their transition away from pure deathcore began on ‘Luciferous,’ and I expect that they will continue exploring new styles and sounds in the future. They are certainly one of the most interesting deathcore-adjacent bands around right now.
Enterprise Earth // Death: An Anthology
Categories: Reviews
