Envy is an institution in the post-hardcore scene, over 32 years the band has cut out its own genre fusing fast paced post-hardcore, screamo and post-rock. The past eight years have not been smooth sailing with line up changes that saw legendary vocalist Tetsuya Fukagawa leave the band before rejoining after founding guitarist Masahiro Tobita and drummer Dairoku Seki had subsequently left. Eunoia steps past all of the turmoil and is an album of unity, beauty and expression. Envy soundscapes of old and new unite to create a glittering jewel in the bands marvellous back catalogue.
Classic envy is here in spades, ‘Imagination and Creation’, ‘The Night And The Void’, ‘Whiteout’ and ‘Lingering Echoes’ layer all the hallmarks of the band. Slow post-rock picking over spoken word, rousing choruses with the indomitable vocal delivery which can’t be replicated. Whilst envy has done these before it doesn’t get any less impressive or beautiful. I could enjoy an album full of those tracks and there is certainly a place in the world for new envy but the band would probably have ended long ago if that was all they did.
Eunoia delves deeper into some of the angles that have been coming through over the last decade. ‘Beyond The Raindrops’ is the most obvious of these on the album with its cloak of post-punk falling off to reveal a glorious, fully blown shoegaze track. The vocal delivery focuses on soft clean vocals with the spoken word not rising to its usual levels. ‘Lingering Lights’ echoes back to the split with Thursday and towards the noise side of the band and closer ‘January’s Dusk’ is a beautiful track which, instrumentally never leaves post-rock, but builds and explodes magnificently.
Envy have managed to do no wrong once again, there are certainly trademarks of the band here but when they do hit into their usual stride it is so magical I could listen to hours and hours of it. The dual vocal delivery has been brought into soft sections but the focus is the usual beauty, energy and passion that only envy can produce. Eunoia is a greatly enjoyable release which sits beautifully in the envy collection.
