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The style definition used by their lable is Independent Metal, and I think it's not precise and only Independent music could suit them; as a matter of fact, Enid have never been only a metal band and especially here the blend of styles is fairly variegated.

The first song worth being mentioned is "An Ode to the Forlorn", where doom is soon replaced by power accelerations; moreover, the drums are flanked by hand percussions. Very different is the title track, fishing from the book of rules of Viking metal; it's fast before the acoustic classic break, and then becomes dark medieval music with a good final guitar solo. In "Die Seelensteine" there're lots of melodic and airy structures, in which vocals and keyboards take over, but this long opus lasting more than 15 minutes also includes other elements making it different from the rest of the batch; the influence of opera is strong in Martin's singing, duetting with an elegant piano and jazzy drums.

As you can notice, there're still English and German lyrics and titles, and the follower "When the Last Glow Flies" follows 2 tracks in German to keep this habit fairly balanced, also resulting the one closer to the past material, touching the 1999 "Nachtgedanken" or the recent "Seelenspiegel"; this is due to its classy keyboards, the pulsating drums and most of all the 3 guitars, as powerful as ever, embellished by a breath-taking break.

I've listened to "The Burning of the Sea" 5 times, and all the more reason after the gregorian chants and Middle Ages choruses of "Exemption", it seems to me out of place; I can't digest the horrible beginning swing vocals, and I don't understand how the band haven't realized of this grave mistake in time so as to take proper measures to replace them. It's really a pity for this song, which has nothing to do with the rest of the tracklist, and after the homosexual nigger vocals we find some good ones alà Bruce Dickinson, solist era; they're OK, but no-one can come and tell me they have to do with the other ones, and don't tell me they did it to surprise me or make the album different; it's not a matter of respecting the chosen format, I'm not against breaking boundaries, it's just that we're in front of a collage of things that don't fit each other; this goes beyond songwriting, it deals with taste, at least this is my humble opinion so far, maybe in a year it'll change... I'll repeat it, it's not a bad song at all besides that unpleasant parenthesis at the start, as it contains an unforgettable thrash metal riff and a few interesting experimental vocals as well, I feel it's a crime to leave it like this, so I suggest the guys re-record it in a better version, because there's nothing to complain about the production at the Tidal Wave Studios (Falkenbach, Ordo Draconis, Vindsval, a.o.), which is high-fi and professional under all of the view points.

Enid confirm what good they did in the past, even if I must remind you that this CD is not for any metal head; it's only for open-minded listeners who're not looking for a constant aggression or classic solutions. One thing is certain: "Gradwanderer" will never make you yawn, and it certainly witnesses how many barriers have been demolished since the term 'crossover' came out in the far 1984.

MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 12/3/04

Contacts:
E-mail: martin@enid-webrealm.de
E-mail: alboin@enid-webrealm.de
www.enid-webrealm.de

Demo-discography:
-Enid (demo, 1997)
-Nachtgedanken (CCP -CD, 1999)
-Abschiedsreigen (CCP - CD, 2000)
-Der Tag zur Nacht sich senkt... (Ketzer - 10" MLP, 2001)
-Seelenspiegel (Code 666 - Digipack CD, 2002)
-Gradwanderer (Code 666 - Digipack CD, 2004)

	(Code666 records) MARK: 87/100



	The style definition used by their lable is Independent Metal, and I think it's not precise and only Independent music could suit them; as a matter of fact, Enid have never been only a metal band and especially here the blend of styles is fairly variegated. The first song worth being mentioned is "An Ode to the Forlorn", where doom is soon replaced by power accelerations; moreover, the drums are flanked by hand percussions. Very different is the title track, fishing from the book of rules of Viking metal; it's fast before the acoustic classic break, and then becomes dark medieval music with a good final guitar solo. In "Die Seelensteine" there're lots of melodic and airy structures, in which vocals and keyboards take over, but this long opus lasting more than 15 minutes also includes other elements making it different from the rest of the batch; the influence of opera is strong in Martin's singing, duetting with an elegant piano and jazzy drums. As you can notice, there're still English and German lyrics and titles, and the follower "When the Last Glow Flies" follows 2 tracks in German to keep this habit fairly balanced, also resulting the one closer to the past material, touching the 1999 "Nachtgedanken" or the recent "Seelenspiegel"; this is due to its classy keyboards, the pulsating drums and most of all the 3 guitars, as powerful as ever, embellished by a breath-taking break. I've listened to "The Burning of the Sea" 5 times, and all the more reason after the gregorian chants and Middle Ages choruses of "Exemption", it seems to me out of place; I can't digest the horrible beginning swing vocals, and I don't understand how the band haven't realized of this grave mistake in time so as to take proper measures to replace them. It's really a pity for this song, which has nothing to do with the rest of the tracklist, and after the homosexual nigger vocals we find some good ones alà Bruce Dickinson, solist era; they're OK, but no-one can come and tell me they have to do with the other ones, and don't tell me they did it to surprise me or make the album different; it's not a matter of respecting the chosen format, I'm not against breaking boundaries, it's just that we're in front of a collage of things that don't fit each other; this goes beyond songwriting, it deals with taste, at least this is my humble opinion so far, maybe in a year it'll change... I'll repeat it, it's not a bad song at all besides that unpleasant parenthesis at the start, as it contains an unforgettable thrash metal riff and a few interesting experimental vocals as well, I feel it's a crime to leave it like this, so I suggest the guys re-record it in a better version, because there's nothing to complain about the production at the Tidal Wave Studios (Falkenbach, Ordo Draconis, Vindsval, a.o.), which is high-fi and professional under all of the view points. Enid confirm what good they did in the past, even if I must remind you that this CD is not for any metal head; it's only for open-minded listeners who're not looking for a constant aggression or classic solutions. One thing is certain: "Gradwanderer" will never make you yawn, and it certainly witnesses how many barriers have been demolished since the term 'crossover' came out in the far 1984. MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 12/3/04 Contacts: E-mail: martin@enid-webrealm.de E-mail: alboin@enid-webrealm.de www.enid-webrealm.de Demo-discography: -Enid (demo, 1997) -Nachtgedanken (CCP -CD, 1999) -Abschiedsreigen (CCP - CD, 2000) -Der Tag zur Nacht sich senkt... (Ketzer - 10" MLP, 2001) -Seelenspiegel (Code 666 - Digipack CD, 2002) -Gradwanderer (Code 666 - Digipack CD, 2004)