{"id":8971,"date":"2023-01-18T19:20:34","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T18:20:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kessel-tamerus.nl\/Esthers_Blog\/?p=8971"},"modified":"2025-11-30T11:49:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T10:49:30","slug":"the-enigma-division-the-enigma-division","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kessel-tamerus.nl\/Esthers_Blog\/cd-recensie\/the-enigma-division-the-enigma-division\/","title":{"rendered":"The Enigma Division \u2013 The Enigma Division."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Enigma Division was formed by guitarist Conor McGouran (ex-Xerath) and Ronan Burns (bassist\/keyboardist). Drummer Ben Wanders (also ex-Xerath) completes the lineup. The debut album is called ‘The Enigma Division’, on which you will hear a mix of ’80s synthesizers, prog rock and technical metal. The guest musicians are: William Alex Young (Defences), Derek Sherinian (Sons Of Apollo\/Planet X\/Dream Theater), and Sam Bell (Mask of Judas\/Solo).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quiet start of ‘1977’ is intriguing, this makes you listen intensely right away. Pace and volume are very slowly ramped up a bit. The turns are smooth, yet the tempo goes up quite a bit. Light classical elements are added, they sound quite “clinical”. A little later, metal emerges, lighter tones continue to be heard throughout. The music slowly dies away, but the ending is cut off quite early. ‘The Escapist’ is about dissatisfaction with where one is in life. Creativity is the only thing that helps overcome this feeling of unease\/panic. Both the merging and alternation between electronic sounds and the metal is very good. The harmony between vocals and music is also fine. This applies not only to the clean vocals, but also to the grunt\/grim vocals. Furthermore, the vocals are stacked at times. In addition, there are other good ingredients, such as wonderful guitar playing, fat bass and dynamic drumming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Echoes In The Deep’ also has a captivating intro. The transition to metal is not spectacular. But the good melange between keyboards and (bass) guitar remains. There are several variations in vocals and music, “chaotic” parts are interspersed with quieter pieces. There are several extended instrumental pieces, some details in these you only hear after a few listens. In the more quietly played part, the vocals join in. The intensely played part ends with a fade out. Every song has its own beautiful things. In ‘Afterglow’, the fantastic guitar playing stands out in particular. During a cool instrumental part in ‘Kaleidoscope’ you hear a beautiful scream. ‘Clarity’ remains subdued in terms of music and vocals for a while, but the sound is not clear here either. It is absolutely meant to be, but you might miss some warmth. The nice build-up to more pace and volume is gradual. If the subdued section that follows had sounded clear, the intense (wordless) vocals at the end would have touched me deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soft, slow start of ‘1977 – Ad Infinitum’ incorporates long-lasting tones. As the tempo increases, the sound of everything remains electronic. A moment later, the metal again forms a good balance with the keys. In the background, “choral singing” seems to be added for a moment. There are more details that you might not hear the first time. A tightly played section is followed by a nice turn to a lighter played part. This includes spoken sampling and guitar playing along. There are numerous twists and turns in this nearly 20-minute epic. This final track ends spherically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, there is some kind of “added static” that makes the sound a bit dingy. As a result, the lighter\/higher notes don’t sound as sparkling. Because the volume differences are generally not very large, everything comes across as a little too flat. While the balance between (bass) guitar and keyboards is good. The percussion is also fine. Many intros draw your attention, triggering you to listen attentively. Moreover, the sound is well spread over the headphones. ‘The Enigma Division’ is a fine debut<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(78\/100)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media<\/strong>:
Facebook: The Enigma Division<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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