29th September 2021

Review: “Rebirth” by Enquire Within

Established in 2016 and taking two and a half years to write and record their debut album “Bloodlines” in 2019 which combines elements of Thrash and Groove Metal with melodic leads, Londoners Enquire Within have been nothing short of prolific since, headlining stage 2 of HRH Metal at the O2 Birmingham in February 2020 being a real highlight. When not able to tour, the quintet who now comprise vocalist Jacob Waller, lead guitarist Dan Lewin, drummer Henry Waller, bassist Erim Ahmet and rhythm guitarist Amelia P-White not only spat out a live at Hackney Road Studios Album in November 2020 based on the setlists from their live shows but also a covers album. Their sophomore album was recorded with Erim Ahmet who also mixed before Chris Pavey mastered and the artwork? That was done by Draca Wilford…

…Since “Bloodlines” there has been a line up change with bassist Jon Cresswell and rhythm guitarist Phil White existing stage left while rhythm guitarist Amelia P-White and bassist Erim Ahmet joined the band, but that’s not all that’s changed. The band have sharpened their skills at the grindstone and that shows from the very beginning of this record; the band are sharper, tighter and fuelled by more dark energy than before. Opening cut “Tainted” is a classic throwback to the kind of instrumental you might expect to hear on an early Metallica album slowly building its way from dark acoustics and marching drumming to Thrash inspired crescendo before “Remorse” rips through the place like tornado. Jacob Waller’s vocal range is incredible and his voice mimics Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows during the vibrant sing-a-long chorus as he switched from a solid bark during the verse; something which appears several times during the album. “Annihilation March” then sees him go the other way, deeper and darker while surrounded by oceans of thunderous percussion and a bass line that wouldn’t be out of place on an early Mudvayne record. The influences may be there to pick out but they add a certain knowing charm to the record, making it something of a Metal album by a band of Metal fans for Metal heads while also giving it a familiarity that makes it instantly accessible. The much more theatrical “Judgement” is a prisoners final prayer that has a classic Metal feel and timeless quality making it one of the Chef’s kiss moments of the record while the narrative continues into “Deafening Silence“, a song about personal demons that not only resonates but is easy to make your own, which is testament to the graft at the song writing on show. After the mid album melodies the thunderous “Get Out” brings back the earlier level of aggression with an instant mosh pit starter that doubles as one that should get the fans chanting during the chorus, it literally begs for a call and response. The tense solo of “I Am Eternal” is a welcome addition during an absolute brute of a track that feels like Ancient Gods fighting in the skies above, as does the follow up “Berserker” as evil grows from within and flames rise inside the eyes and drummer Henry Waller delivers intriguingly complex fills that become more noticeable with each passing listen for all the right reasons. A second instrumental in “Cocoon” is equally as nostalgic as the first one and serves to set up the title track finale perfectly, a pièce de résistance that needs to be heard in all the four corners of Planet Metal. All too often we use the term ‘going places band‘ but that is exactly what Enquire Within are and on this evidence, the sky is the limit [8/10]