ENGEL

Industrial Metal / Melodic Death Metal • Sweden
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Engel is an industrial metal / melodic death metal band, not unlike Mnemic or Raunchy. They hail from Gothenburg, Sweden, and, in addition, their bass player originates from England.
Thanks to Time Signature, Bosh66 for the updates

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ENGEL Discography

ENGEL albums / top albums

ENGEL Absolute Design album cover 2.50 | 2 ratings
Absolute Design
Industrial Metal 2007
ENGEL Threnody album cover 3.50 | 4 ratings
Threnody
Industrial Metal 2010
ENGEL Blood of Saints album cover 3.50 | 2 ratings
Blood of Saints
Industrial Metal 2012
ENGEL Raven Kings album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Raven Kings
Melodic Death Metal 2014

ENGEL EPs & splits

ENGEL Songs for the Dead album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Songs for the Dead
Industrial Metal 2012

ENGEL live albums

ENGEL demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

ENGEL Demo 2005 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Demo 2005
Industrial Metal 2005
ENGEL Demo 2006 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Demo 2006
Industrial Metal 2006
ENGEL Framing Armageddon / September Sun / In Splendour album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Framing Armageddon / September Sun / In Splendour
Industrial Metal 2007

ENGEL re-issues & compilations

ENGEL singles (0)

ENGEL movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

ENGEL Reviews

ENGEL Blood of Saints

Album · 2012 · Industrial Metal
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Time Signature
Feel afraid...

Genre: industrial metalcore

The latest release by Swedish metal act Engel, "Blood of Saints" builds on the sound of the previous album "Threnody". Thus, the listener is treated to modern metalcore-based music in the form of 11 rocking tracks. The electronic aspect of Engel's sound strikes me as being more dominant on this album than on "Threnody".

The opener 'Question Your Place' is a pretty formulaic modern metalcore song (at least to my ears), featuring your typical heavy groove-based verse and melodic chorus. This track was a bit of a turn-off to me, but it is followed by two incredibly strong melodic tracks.

'Frontline' is more of an all out hard rocking metal track with, if not outright elements, then at least the drive of traditional metal and also features some nice melodic guitar leads. Similarly "Feel Afraid" features melodic elements that could be associated with traditional metal (but wrapped in a modern industrial metal sound). 'Numb' takes us back in metalcore-land, while 'Cash King' is an uptempo rocker with a very catchy melodic chorus. The album is characterized by this going back and forth between metalcore and more rock/metal inspired tracks. All wrapped in electronic effects and very melodic vocals.

I think that a lot of people will dislike this album for being melodic and following the formulas of commercial melodic metalcore. But, then again, Engel are good at using these formulas to churn out some solid songs that are catchy and memorable. The more metalcore-oriented tracks do not really appeal that much to me, but I do like the uptempo rock/metal-oriented tracks - especially the ones mentioned above.

Hardcore metal elitists should probably stay as far away from this album as possible, but if you like melodic metalcore with commercial appeal, then Engel's "Blood of Saints" is among the better releases within the genre, as it retains the spirit of rock.

ENGEL Threnody

Album · 2010 · Industrial Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
J-Man
For Those Who Will Resist Modern Metalcore

On the surface, Engel comes across as one of those annoying pop-metalcore bands that every “true” metal fan dreads. If we’re being honest, this band has almost all of the ingredients that would usually drive me crazy. Pop/rock choruses mixed with melodic metalcore is usually not my thing at all - and with good reason. Many of the bands who play in this genre have very little musical merit whatsoever. But Engel is different. These guys are actually great! I’ve been listening to Threnody almost non-stop during the past week, and every time I was really excited to give it a spin. These guys seamlessly mix Gothenburg-style death metal, metalcore, industrial metal, and even some pop/rock and progressive metal. Engel is an eclectic, highly-enjoyable group despite any preconceptions you may have due to the people who dare to lump this great band with the likes of Dead By April.

Threnody is a really consistent album all the way through. Though there are a few moments that aren’t too enjoyable for me, every song is redeemed somehow. Whether it is a memorable chorus, great instrumental break, or terrific bridge, every song finds a way to be of high-quality. The album starts out with one of the heaviest tracks, Six Feet Deep, which has a great chorus and a cool industrial edge. Songs like For Those Who Will Resist and Every Sin (Leaves a Mark) are great, heavy tracks as well. Surprisingly enough, the softer ballad, To the End, is actually an amazing song. These guys can pull off a ballad without sounding cheesy and uninspired, and I really applaud them for that. Perfect Isis is another softer song that’s also really good. One of the weaker songs is Feed the Weak, but it’s still decent. The verses are somewhat banal, but the chorus saves the song from complete mediocrity. As a whole, this is a really good album with nice amount of variation and consistency.

The musicians in Engel are a real treat to listen to. Not only are they highly professional and proficient, their playing style is very inspired. My favorite aspect of Engel is probably Magnus "Mangan" Klavborn’s vocals. Although I don’t always enjoy the metalcore shouts, his clean voice is terrific. The four instrumentalists are great as well, never sacrificing melody for complexity and “heaviness”. There are tons of tasteful guitar licks and drum patterns on Threnody.

The production is great. Although some may find it to be slightly over-produced, I think it sounds great. The electronics sound especially terrific, as the synths and industrial influences can be extremely hypnotic. The bass sounds great, the drums are pitch-perfect, and the overall sound is just tremendous.

Conclusion:

I must confess that I was very surprised by Threnody. Though I was expecting a competent industrial metalcore album, Engel really surprised me with a highly enjoyable experience. Although this isn’t an album that I’ll put on too often in the future, the quality is absolutely undeniable. If you like metalcore that isn’t all about making money from emo teenagers, Engel is a band well-worth checking out! I’ll give Threnody a solid 3.5 star rating. I can’t wait to hear more from this band.

ENGEL Threnody

Album · 2010 · Industrial Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Time Signature
Heartsick...

Genre: melodic metalcore/industrial

"Threnody" by Swedish industrial act Engel strikes me as being more in the vein of melodic metalcore than industrial metal, although the electronic elements are still present.

There is plenty of melody here, and a bit of pop sensibility, too, without ever reaching the absurd levels of sticky, icky pop decadence of the likes of Dead By April. Engel are able to combine simple, but very melodic and catchy choruses with groovy and ripping guitar riffs, which ensures that there still is a lot of metal spirit to their music - despite the perhaps banal lyrics about heartache and unfulfilled love (then again, these topics are as good lyrical topics as any other).

Also, Engel are quite eclectic drawing on various types of heavy metal (I especially like the classic metal oriented riffs in many of their songs).

This album should appeal to fans of Ranchy, Mnemic and the like (although one is tempted to declare Engel better than both), fans of Dead By April and Sonic Syndicate might also like Engel, but be warned - Engel actually kick ass!

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