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ENSNARED
Ravenous Damnation’s Dawn EP

Nuclear Winter (2013)
Rating: 7.5/10

The Nuclear Winter roster has been putting out some mighty releases of late. Ensnared, who hail from Gothenburg in Sweden, are another old school sounding thrash / death metal act that deserve your attention. This combo has been doing the rounds in some form since 2005, but this EP is their first opus, and follows on from their three-track 2011 self-titled demo.

The band has been troubled by several line-up changes over the years, but this hasn’t prevented them from releasing a sneering mini-work of aggressive art that is quite far removed from that usual Swedish chainsaw sound we’ve become swamped by over the decades.

If anything, Ensnared live up to their name, and sport a series of thorny riffs, spiky drums and barbed vocals to snag the listener. If one can imagine a raspier, ashen Morbid Angel mixed with a black metal streak as well as a hint of 80s German thrash, then you might get some idea of the vitriolic nature of this four-track composition (six if you count the two bonus tracks on the CD version, which are taken from the band’s aforementioned demo cassette).

The band effortlessly shift between tempo, with album opener ‘Adorations’ beginning its miserable existence as a thrashing, death metal spit before lowering the tone to a mid-paced, grey plod.

Meanwhile, ‘With Roots Below’ is an all-out acerbic thrasher, featuring some hyper drums and maniacal riffs; the track brings beads of sweat to the ears, such is its frantic pace. Although the bass refuses to stand out, it’s a vital cog in this oily machine of utter chaos and caustic creation.

Ensnared really are a seething act who must be taken seriously. One only has to give ‘Kimiya ye al Molekhat’ a few spins to appreciate the maddening quality of this despicable release. But best observed in the nine-minute simmering epic, ‘The Hungry Darkness Of Death’. Beginning with a tick-tock approach of mere pensive drums and frail chords, the composition builds to a holocaustic speed metal face-melter, boasting those venomous vocal rasps and fantastic drums, which are the star of the show.

As previously stated, the CD version features two bonus demo tracks. The much shorter ‘Fields Of Resurrection’ has a basement, regressive black metal feel but those whipping riffs still cut as deep as a rusty razor, whereas the vocals are deathlier. While the immense ‘Baneful Blood’, featuring a sinister drum rattle and a stronger death metal dynamic, evokes images of the late 80s and early 90s black / death metal scene.

Ensnared will no doubt refuse to be categorised. Upon hearing this rancorous assault I’m convinced that these guys can slip into whatever guise they wish, but I much prefer their drier thrash / death smouldering over the more bellowing, dense sounding death they also create. A full-length platter can’t come soon enough, so ignore primitive Swedish death metal at your peril.

Neil Arnold

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