Enthrall
Throes Of Fire

February 2012
Released: 2011, Metalfighters
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: JP

There has been a lot of talk about the planetary explosion in Metal these past few years. From Sam Dunn’s film GLOBAL METAL to the new academic publication of essays called METAL RULES THE GLOBE, the media and academia are finally catching up. One of the largest regions of expansion is India and one of the longest running and most respected bands in that great nation is Enthrall.



Founded 14 years ago, Enthrall have just released their second full-length album, THROES OF FIRE on the small but esteemed Greek label, MetalFighters. Based in the tiny and humble, south-western village of Bangalore, (pop: 8.5 million!) Enthrall come from one of the more high-tech and progressive cities in the country.



THROES OF FIRE is a well-put together, 10 cut, 42 minute album that includes lyrics, photos and so on. Led by main-man Neil Rego, Enthrall are not immediately easy to categorize and that is perhaps a good thing. I know many people really seek originality in music and rank a band based on how unique or different that band is. I’m not necessarily one of them, I enjoy performance execution as much as creativity, however I do recognize when a band is trying to break out of the mold. I think India doesn’t have the same extensive Rock/Metal history tradition as North America and Europe, so bands from India tend to fall into either blatant clones or innovators and THROES OF FIRE is an innovative album.



Enthrall play a real mix of Metal and Rock with some groove and some progressive elements. It might sound odd but I hear little bits of Primus, hints of Faith No More, lots of heavy vs. light, lots of technical skill, a quirky sense of individuality communicated through the atypical lyrics, in cuts like ‘Lame Sunk Esteem’ and I think they might have a penchant for recreational pharmaceuticals with cuts like ‘Fuzzy’, Natural Instinct’ and ‘Stoned’. Enthrall blend some 80’s and 90’s influences together quite seamlessly, some parts more straight ahead, some off-beat and engaging. The album slithers along at a mid-pace with some slower twists and turns but never afraid to let the guitars have their say.



THROES OF FIRE is an intriguing listen and Enthrall well on their way to establishing a cosmopolitan aggregation of various styles to create something dynamic and new. Worth checking out!