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Released on March 2, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Records
There are plenty of bands around who dabble with Middle Eastern and Oriental musical influences, with the likes of Orphaned Land, Myrath, Nile and Melechesh being some of the more well-known ones. The latter band, surrounding mainman Ashmedi, really managed to flesh out their own specific brand on Emissaries (2006) and The Epigenesis (2010). With five years between albums, let’s see what Ashmedi and co managed to come up with on Enki.
Melechesh’s previous album is generally viewed as a true masterpiece with all the bells and whistles that come with it. Coming up with a worthy successor isn’t an easy task on the best of days, yet Ashmedi managed to do just that with Enki. The opening track, ‘Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged’, serves as a grim reminder of what the band is all about. It’s a epic journey through raging black metal inspired pieces, Middle Eastern melody lines and Ashmedi’s shrieks emerging the listener in ancient Sumerian lore. No Lovecraftian inspired nonsense, but the real deal from the glory days of some of mankind’s first civilisations.
Compositions like ‘Lost Tribes’ and ‘Enki Divine Nature Awoken’ continue with the epic side of Melechesh’s music. However, it’s the shorter tracks such as ‘The Pendulum Speaks’ and ‘Multiple Truths’ that give Enki its inherent balance and they serve as well-placed interludes between the more top heavy songs. They also have this infectious rock feel to them and they should do well in a live setting. A special mention should go to ‘Doorways To Irkala’, which is essentially an instrumental track full of exotic flourishes and all the other elements that make Melechesh such an unique listening experience.
When it comes to fusing black metal, rock and Middle Eastern/Oriental music few if any can pull it off in such a convincing and menacing way as Ashmedi and Melechesh. Enki is a very rich and rewarding listening experience and downright one of the best albums of this year. The old Sumerian and Mesopotamian gods smiled and saw it was good.
