Biografie

More than anything else, we share death in common. This universal eventuality unites us. In an evolutionary sense, it effectively ensures our equality. No matter who you are, you will die. Enterprise Earth explore death from a different perspective altogether. Rather than turn away from it, the U.S. quartet—Gabe Mangold [guitar, backing vocals, production], Brian Zackey [drums], Travis Worland [vocals], and Dakota Johnson [bass]—face it head-on with their fifth full-length offering, DEATH: AN ANTHOLOGY [MNRK HEAVY]. Against an apocalyptic soundtrack of battering ram double bass drums, gut-punching guitars, and disarmingly dynamic vocals, the group present their most immersive and inimitable vision yet.

 

“The album is tied together by the overarching concept of death,” Travis states. “It’s easy to think of death as a separation of consciousness from the body, but we’re delving into the death of self, individuality, and relationships—whether romantic or platonic. Dying takes many forms. I grew up extremely religious, so death has always been on my mind. In any religion, the afterlife is the umbrella for all of your beliefs. I see death philosophically now as entry to another plane.”

 

The band have always incited mosh pits and thought in equal measure. Since emerging during 2014, Enterprise Earth have logged two back-to-back debuts in the Top 10 of the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart, while Loudwire cited Luciferous among the “50 Best Metal Albums of 2019.” Hysteria Mag heralded 2022’s The Chosen as “a veritable masterclass in experimentation and reinvention that shows a highly skilled band transcending its roots and making steps to become leaders of a field still being created,” while Metal Injection summed it up as “a strong statement.” Plus, they toured with the likes of Fit For An Autopsy, Fallujah, Within Destruction, and more.

 

With Gabe once again in the producer’s chair, the musicians holed up in a Lake Tahoe cabin for nine days where they penned the bulk of DEATH: AN ANTHOLOGY. It marked the first time this lineup wrote together (and in-person) as well as with Travis on vocal duties.

 

“We fed off one another’s energy,” recalls Gabe. “These songs felt cohesive because of that. We all had a hand in the composition.”

 

A guillotine-sharp groove and detuned guttural guitars toss and turn beneath growls on the first single “King of Ruination,” featuring Ben Duerr of Shadows of Intent and Hollow Prophet. It subsides on an insidious bridge offset by eerie orchestration and venomous vocal transmissions.

 

“It’s the only song that has any political idea behind it,” Travis exclaims. “It’s more about the death of individuality in society. We’ve given all of our agency to people who are brutalizing us day in and day out.”

 

Elsewhere, acoustic guitar sets an ominous tone for the seven-minute “Casket of Rust.” The track twists and turns through black metal-style assault and battery, fits of symphonic orchestration, and arresting storytelling.

 

“Lyrically, it touches on the death of yourself in a relationship,” Travis notes. “You’re killing off anything you had in order to appease another person and destroying pieces of yourself. You built this casket for so long that it has time to decay and rust before you bury yourself in it.”

 

Then, there’s “Blood and Teeth.” Heavenly keys glow during a moment of rare reprieve with gorgeous clean vocals. Travis bemoans, “You carved into my teeth symbols of your love,” only for rapid fire lead guitar to counter in a maelstrom of intensity.

 

“From the title, you think it’s going to be this disgusting deathcore song, but it starts out pretty,” smiles Travis. “It’s raw and natural. I dug the contrast.”

 

“I matched the guitar to the groove,” says Gabe. “It began with Travis’s piano intro, and it turned into a journey.”

 

Elsewhere, Darius Tehrani of Spite adds another dimension to “The Reaper’s Servant,” which waves pinch harmonics and tumultuous distortion like a scythe. Premier shredder Wes Hauch [Alluvial, Glass Casket] lends his talents to “Malevolent Force.” A melodic groan echoes over a moment of captivating chaos fueled by fretboard fireworks.

 

“Wes is one of our favorite guitarists,” Gabe goes on. “He can play three notes, and you know it’s him.”

 

DEATH: AN ANTHOLOGY fittingly concludes on an epic note with “Curse of Flesh.” Joined by none other than Trivium frontman Matthew K. Heafy, it culminates on one last turbulent and triumphant catharsis.

 

“It touches on begging for eternal life without knowing what you’re asking for,” Travis reveals. “The immortal person realizes he has to watch everyone he’s ever cared for die and decay. You see how soulless eternal life actually is as the world rots. Picture a spirit being who’s sitting in the universe and watching the planet fall to bits as he remembers everything he went through. It was the final link in the chain to create a loop for replay listening.”

 

In the end, death may be inevitable, but you can rely on Enterprise Earth for a release in the meantime.

 

“We wanted to make an album that feels like who we are as a collective,” the band agree. “On the one hand, we hope you have fun listening to it. On the other, just know, ‘Death is real and it comes for us all’. One day, we won’t be here anymore. While we’re alive, we want to enjoy it though.”

 

Quelle: https://oktoberpromotion.com/releases/enterprise-earth-death-an-anthology www