...And now you can add Enthrope to the list of "biggest hopes of metal music", please... "Oh, who Enthrope?", I hear you ask. Well, it's not a surprise if you haven't heard about these Finns, as they formed only in 2006 and 'Universe Mute' is their debut release. As their biography says: "The idea was to combine dark, death metal music with more atmospheric and ambient sounds to fulfill the concept."

The title track leads a listener towards the unknown with it's melancholic, mesmerizing lead guitar melody and yet-reserved aggression. 'Ill Elements' explodes into mid-paced riff-o-rama and cool double kick drumming, with Mid-Eastern flavored melody work next to pure Finnish-sounding melody. The likes of Demonoid and Insomnium come to my mind while listening to this fine piece of metal music. Atmospheric ambient sounds play a big role of Enthrope's sound, creating haunting, spacey passages among more brutal music. This is how the rest of this EP flows on, at times melancholic in Finnish vein, at times pretty hard-hitting metal. Vocals are deeply growl, with bite, but there's some clean parts too, but only for spice. The production is great work thoroughly, as is the artwork. One thing I miss are the lyrics, which would have been a good addition, as they cannot be found on the band's website either.

All in all, Enthrope sound very sophisticated despite the fact that they formed last year. 'Universal Mute' is a sure pick for every Finn-o-phile and those who like their metal rough yet stylish, but not trendy.

Rating: 8- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
09/19/2007 20:15