As usual for this time of year, I’m trying to get onto 2010 releases for review, but there are always a few worthwhile, late 2009 stragglers that I feel deserve a mention and your ear. One such release is the debut from Tennessee’s Enfold Darkness.

I know Sumerian Records get a lot of flack for their similar bands and emphasis on tech deathcore, but they stepped out of their box a little bit with Enfold Darkness a modernized black /thrash death metal band that come across as a mix of Revocation’s modern take on thrash metal mixed with Cradle of Filth and a smidgeon of fellow Tennesseans Epoch of Unlight.

While that may seem like some heavy handed name dropping, the fact is, I’m pretty confident that it’s accurate. The band seems to be stepping lightly on the nu thrash bandwagon a la Skeletonwith/3 Inches of Blood and such, but they are a little more fiercely melodic less forcibly retro. And then throw in vocals with super high pitched screeches and deep bellows that are almost an exact clone of Dani Filth and some blistering blackened melodies and some random acoustic interludes and injections and the formula is there for a pretty impressive American debut that is up there with A Hill to Die Upon’s Infinite Titanic Immortal as far as surprising, quality American melodic black metal.

While on the surface the whole affair seems a bit processed and packaged to cover a wide metal fan base, the fact is Enfold Darkness are pretty good and their mix is tightly delivered and they pen some good songs that allow all their elements to breath and not sound simply thrown together to appease trends. And while certainly the Hot Topic masses with swallow this up as their token black metal band (i.e. Abigail Williams), with their polished sound, presence and beards, seasoned metal heads will appreciate the fact the album is very well done from start to finish.

In particular, bookend tracks like “In the Galleries of the Utmost Evil” and 8 minute standout “The Sanctuaries” show that the band are dynamic and inherently aware of their influences without being hokey or forced- maybe other than the slightly over done Dani Filth-isms (i.e. deep spoken words and whispers here and there). The sudden acoustic/atmospheric tangents within songs blend nicely and frankly, the band can kick out some pretty killer riffs and shreddage on a dime (“Our Cursed Rapture”, “Dead in the Brine”, both “Exaltations” tracks) making for a high octane, well done album that might give Sumerian some credibility above and beyond modern deathcore and metalcore.

[Visit the band's website]

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