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THE ENIGMA DIVISION
The Enigma Division

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 8.5/10

I had a feeling that this was going to be one of those releases I’d have to be in the mood for, and so after downing two Ibuprofen tablets I embarked on a journey of what this Irish bunch like to call “tech noir”.

This is very much progressive metal that comes streaked with synth layering, metallic twiddling, cosmic caressing and sonic ambition. Sure, it took me several listens to even scratch the surface of this sci-fi laden orgy of sound, but once abducted by its tentacles and taken on board its saucer-shaped construction I found myself in awe of its grooves.

I’ve never been a massive fan of progressive metal, but I am in appreciation of its exploratory values. Dream Theatre, Genesis and, probably less intentional, Cynic spring to mind throughout this hour-long opus, but there are funky elements too entwined with spatial drifts, as well as those soulful soaring melodies, otherworldly twinkles and, for the metalheads, some extremely engaging slabs of hard metal.

This is the sort of album one can attempt to decipher over the course of hours, days and months which would result in a rather tedious review, so instead I’ll try to keep things simple. You get eight tracks here, including the opening intro, ‘1977’, and closing outro, ‘1977 Ad Infinitum’, although the latter runs for 20 minutes! Sandwiched in-between you get plied with a breath-taking array of tunes.

‘The Escapist’ judders with a thrash intensity at first before those synths trickle over it like glistening water caressing rocks. The combo then shifts into a funky groove metal theme before shifting again into a steely, yet almost Eastern influenced splendour whereby the vocals soar over the whole proceedings in a crisp, clear and fluid manner.

Rarely does the trio – joined by a few guest musicians, including William Alex Young (Defences), Derek Sherinian (Sons Of Apollo / Planet X / Dream Theater) and Sam Bell (Mask Of Judas) – rest on its laurels, and so one minute the vocals become a booming rant while the bass jars and flips to the pitter patter of the drums. It always remains metallic, so don’t be thinking that by their intricacies that The Enigma Division sacrifices weight because they don’t, but these lads certainly like to evoke images of late-70s and early-80s synth wave and extra-terrestrial canoodling to the point that immediately after my fourth listen I slapped on several 70s sci-fi horror VHS tapes!

‘Echoes In The Deep’ is dark, brooding and yet galactic, driving with differing dynamics but always melodious. I guess if anything, the most “non-metal” detail throughout this opus is in fact the vocals which remain soulful and harmless in their ethereal state, and yet they fit this ever-changing horizon perfectly. It also seems only natural that you’ll get raided by some of the more traditional aspects of prog, whether by guitar or synth, but there is just so much going on here and yet one never feels bamboozled by the enigmatic twists and turns.

‘Afterglow’ is one of the softer tracks, brimming with that AOR feel of softness and warmth, and it is probably my favourite track on the record. Elsewhere, ‘Kaleidoscope’ stands out with its chugging dynamics oddly reminding me of Faith No More. ‘Clarity’ is equally soothing, but clearly the star of the show will be the closing ‘1977 – Ad Infinitum’ with its effortless guitar work, squirming synths and cosmic majesty. The shifts into metallic weight are always a joy, almost tech-death if you will, with the hefty percussion toying with the sweeping atmospherics is at once staggering while all around remains somewhat haunting, stark and yet otherworldly.

The guys behind this grandiose statement are Ben Wanders (vocals and drums), Conor McGouran (guitar and keyboards) and Ronan Burns (bass and keyboards), and what they have created is at times an eye-watering style of progressive metal that although not for everyone should still appeal to those with a penchant for the complex, sweeping and, above all, creative.

Neil Arnold

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