DippoMagoo Metal and pop aren’t supposed to go together, for obvious reasons, yet many modern bands have managed to blend the two together in effective ways, and have found success in doing so. The latest band to attempt something similar is Swedish melodic metal band Enbound, whose debut, And She Says Gold, was solid enough, though it never left much of an impression on me. Now, five years later the band has returned with their sophomore effort, The Blackened Heart, and I’m much more impressed this time around. The power metal foundation of their sound has been left intact, but this time the band has experimented with different elements, and yes some tracks definitely do have pop sensibilities, much more so than I would have expected.

Enbound was formed by drummer Mike Cameron Force, who I had previous heard with the long disbanded power metal group Zonata, and so I knew to expect some excellent drumming on this album, and he has delivered as always. Musically there is a pretty wide variety of the songs here, with some tracks expectedly having a more traditional power metal sound, with a focus on speed, riffs and vocal melodies, while other tracks have a much more modern sound to them, with some occasional very minor influences from modern alternative metal acts in the guitar sound, while some tracks are softer and more keyboard drove, with slight hard rock elements, and there’re a couple tracks here that blend modern metal and classic power metal together in effective ways. Oh, the whole, though, this album is very much driven by its melodies, so if those don’t work for you, chances are you won’t find much to like. Luckily, I happen to love the melodies on display, and vocalist Lee Hunter does an excellent job, at times sounding a bit pop-ish in his delivery, while at other times using the kind of soaring vocals you’d expect from a power metal album. The band also uses symphonic elements on and off, something I noticed on their debut as well, though this time around these elements seems much more prominent, and even dominate at times.

Folks scared off by my initial mention of pop elements may want to skip opening track “Falling”, as the track opens with keyboards and some of the most pop-like vocals I’ve ever heard on a metal album, though the rest of the band does kick in soon afterward, and for the remainder of the track it turns into a mid-tempo melodic metal song with some nice riffs and some nice supporting vocals from guest Linnéa Wikström. Some may hate that opening section, but personally I think Lee does an excellent job and he definitely gives the album an extra level of accessibility. Also on the lighter side of things, “Get Ready For” starts off with piano and symphonic elements, initially feeling like a pop ballad, though once the drums and guitars kick in it turns into more of a classic hard rock style track, with some bouncy vocal sections and a fun chorus. Another nice softer track is “Twelve”, a mid-tempo track where the symphonic elements are in full force and combine with the guitars to make for an excellent take on modern symphonic metal, complete with a great chorus. There’s one ballad on the album, “They Don’t Really Know”, and while the majority of the track is a bit sleepy with not much happening and nothing to really grab onto, Lee manages to save it during the 45 seconds with an incredible vocal section that shows how emotional and powerful he can be in his delivery.

Fans looking for some great power metal should find quite a bit to like on this album, starting with “Give Me Light”. This track features some of those modern guitar riffs I mentioned, and it alternates nicely between mid-tempo and somewhat fast paced sections during its verses, before going full speed during its epic chorus. It still sounds very light compared to most power metal, but the guitars sound great on it, and it’s an excellent track overall. Immediately following that track is “Crossroad”, one of the more traditional power metal tracks on the album, with the verses dominated by keys while the chorus is, of course, speedy and features some excellent vocal work. There’s also a really nice extended guitar solo in the second half. Two more similar songs are “Feel My Flame” and closing track “Make You So Unreal”, both of which are faster tracks with nice guitar work. The former has a really nice extended instrumental section towards the end, while the latter has by far the catchiest chorus on the album and is probably my favorite track overall, as well as probably the most classic power metal sounding of the bunch. Another favorite is “Holy Grail”, a consistently fast paced track which has a nice melodic chorus, while the verses remind me a bit of modern In Flames, mostly in how the guitar tone sounds. Lastly, “HIO” is an interesting track that constantly switches between light, bouncy sections where Lee uses his more pop like vocals, and faster sections, with the second verse, in particular, doing an excellent job of blending the two together in a way that somehow works. It’s a bit of an oddball track to be sure, but the band pulled it off wonderfully.

Overall, The Blackened Heart is an excellent and very fun melodic metal album that fans of lighter power metal should be able to enjoy. Some folks may be scared off by the pop elements I mentioned, but really those are more in the vocals than anything else, and musically this is still largely a metal album. Enbound may not have blown me away with their debut, but this time around they have left a much stronger impression, and I can’t wait to hear more from them in the future.

originally written for myglobalmind.com: http://myglobalmind.com/2016/11/17/enbound-the-blackened-heart-review/

J-Man Enbound is a fairly new power metal band from Sweden, formed in 2006. Listening to their debut album, And She Says Gold, it's hard to believe that these guys aren't veterans of the genre! This album just oozes class, and sounds extremely professional and polished. People who are hesitant to melodic and (very) accessible power metal may not enjoy this one very much, but I know that I've had a great time experiencing it.

The music here is melodic power metal focused mainly on memorable vocal lines and pleasant landscapes. There are plenty of heavy guitars and dense rhythms, but there are always uplifting choruses and layers of symphonic keyboards. And She Says Gold may be lacking a bit in terms of instrumental entertainment (this is a fairly straightforward album from a compositional standpoint), though everything is played professionally. The vocals from Lee Hunter take center stage in Enbound's music, and with good reason - he's a breathtaking singer! He certainly possesses a great set of pipes that really leaves me speechless. The songs here seem to be divided into heavier metal tracks and ballads - I tend to prefer the heavier tracks, but I've also been surprised by the softer power-ballads. There really isn't a weak track here (except for maybe the cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It").

All in all, And She Says Gold is simply a high-quality album from Enbound. The melodies are memorable, the production is professional and powerful, and the musicianship is top-notch across the board. Though this may not be the perfect melodic power metal album, it's a damn good effort that should be in any power metal fan's collection. 3.5 stars are fair here.

The Block Squeals of War

Enbound’s newest release “And She Says Gold”, a 13 track full album with one bonus track, has appealed to two sides of me. One it the metal side of me, which has caused me to enjoy this album but with a few complaints about both the heaviness and content of the songs, and the other side is the side of me that likes catchy, easy to comprehend lyrics that are in a way, pop sounding. Everyone has feelings for albums that aren’t exactly good, but have catchy lyrics or an uplifting sound. That’s what this album is for me. Though it doesn’t have a whole lot of “guts” to it, it still is a very enjoyable album that makes me want to listen to it.

Though the album is mostly comprised as power metal, the tone of the album offers a much mellower and lighter sound than usual power metal. This is especially evident on the track “Descending” which starts off with a nice guitar and drum riff and soon transfers into a heavier melody that carries the song, even though I say it is heavier, it’s not exactly hard metal, and because of this I really enjoy this album. The differences between the light and heavy metal on this album really add to it and increase the overall feel of it. The guitar work by Jonathan Nyberg is very good especially in the solo sections on “Descending” and “I Am Lost to You”. One thing that makes this album stand out is the great sound produced when the drums and guitars are alone. Almost every song has an interlude composed of this and it really sounds great. The only thing is that it is on every song, which creates the same feeling on most of the songs. Enbound also seems to lean more towards traditional heavy metal and even glam metal in some of the lighter parts of the album, creating a nice feel. In parts they are not unlike Iron Maiden but with a pop sound and nowhere near as heavy riffs and melodies.

One thing that I do have to say about this album is that the bonus track drags it down. It won’t affect my rating that much though, since not everyone will hear it, but nonetheless it needs to be talked about. The bonus track is “Beat It”, originally by Michael Jackson, but with a metal spin on it. Not only is it a train wreck musically, I don’t even know what compelled them to put it on this album. “Beat It” by itself is an okay song, but when mixed with metal it makes something that I never really want to hear, so if you do get the bonus track with this album, I wouldn’t recommend listening to it.

That being said, most of the other songs on the album are very good and have pretty good vocals on them. Marcus Nygren’s voice is very good, and fits the genre, or genres, that Enbound plays perfectly. This is especially evident on tracks such as “Noiseless Bullet” and “Squeals of War”. The latter is probably my favorite song on the album, not only for its killer bas and guitar opening but for the vocals that go with it. As with most of the other songs on the album, Marcus Nygren’s voice is very soft and easy to listen to. But there are also other parts of this song in which it has a heavy feel, but it still sounds very good.

The production is very good and I have no complaints with it. It mixes the lows and highs well and provides a great platform for this band.

Overall, this is a very good release by Enbound. With great songs such as “Squeals of War” and “Descending” they have put forth an album that will please any listener who likes traditional and power metal. For a good release Enbound gets 3.5 stars.