It’s always nice to know when a band from my neck of the woods releases new material worth checking out. Late last year, south-east Londoners Enquire Within released their debut album Bloodlines, something which completely slipped under my radar. So now I figured I should give it a proper listen.
The guys in Enquire Within certainly take a lot of influence from thrash metal, that’s for sure. Throwing in some groove metal and metalcore elements to freshen things up was definitely a smart decision, though, and that helps tracks like “Hunter” have an extra dimension that other tracks miss at times. Frontman Jacob Waller delivers his vocals with a distinctive bark, half-way between James Hetfield and Arise-era Max Cavalera, which can be a bit hit-and-miss but gives Enquire Within something a little different compared to others in the scene.
You have to admire the way Bloodlines doesn’t just play it safe with one style, or allows each track to fall into the same sort of pace or pattern. Each track seems to offer something a bit different, from industrial-style grooves on “Hunter” to classic metal chants on “Battle Torn”, or the more dramatic, cleaner singing present on the title track and the straightforward thrash of “Warmonger”. Enquire Within are undoubtedly using this first outing to show off their full range of influences, while keeping things rooted with a core thrash metal sound. Credit must go to the guitarists Dan Lewin and Phil White for their versatility, and to the rhythm section of Jon Cresswell and Henry Waller for keeping pace with them It’ll be interesting to see if they want to keep pushing themselves in future efforts, or if they’ll find a sound that works best for them and decide to follow that from now on.
One glaring problem with Bloodlines, though, is the production. While raw on the whole, it is also wildly inconsistent. While tracks such as “Hunter” and “Watch It Burn” have an element of polish to them, others such as “Battle Torn” and “War” are not only much quieter, but also even rougher production-wise, almost as if it were a demo that was thrown in late on. It’s likely that, as with many local-level bands, this album was recorded in stages over a long period of time, and as a result production techniques used in each session likely changed. It’s something that can’t be avoided if you’re working on a budget, but it can have a jarring effect on the overall listening experience.
Nonetheless, Bloodlines presents an excellent starting platform for Enquire Within to progress from. The ideas in there are interesting and there is a lot of creativity in their ranks, so with a more consistent and tighter production job next time around, they could have something good. For now, you have a real rough product here which requires room to grow into its own. I’ll be keeping an eye on their development to see if they can live up to the expectations they’ve set themselves here.
Stream and purchase the album below on Bandcamp.
The guys in Enquire Within certainly take a lot of influence from thrash metal, that’s for sure. Throwing in some groove metal and metalcore elements to freshen things up was definitely a smart decision, though, and that helps tracks like “Hunter” have an extra dimension that other tracks miss at times. Frontman Jacob Waller delivers his vocals with a distinctive bark, half-way between James Hetfield and Arise-era Max Cavalera, which can be a bit hit-and-miss but gives Enquire Within something a little different compared to others in the scene.
You have to admire the way Bloodlines doesn’t just play it safe with one style, or allows each track to fall into the same sort of pace or pattern. Each track seems to offer something a bit different, from industrial-style grooves on “Hunter” to classic metal chants on “Battle Torn”, or the more dramatic, cleaner singing present on the title track and the straightforward thrash of “Warmonger”. Enquire Within are undoubtedly using this first outing to show off their full range of influences, while keeping things rooted with a core thrash metal sound. Credit must go to the guitarists Dan Lewin and Phil White for their versatility, and to the rhythm section of Jon Cresswell and Henry Waller for keeping pace with them It’ll be interesting to see if they want to keep pushing themselves in future efforts, or if they’ll find a sound that works best for them and decide to follow that from now on.
One glaring problem with Bloodlines, though, is the production. While raw on the whole, it is also wildly inconsistent. While tracks such as “Hunter” and “Watch It Burn” have an element of polish to them, others such as “Battle Torn” and “War” are not only much quieter, but also even rougher production-wise, almost as if it were a demo that was thrown in late on. It’s likely that, as with many local-level bands, this album was recorded in stages over a long period of time, and as a result production techniques used in each session likely changed. It’s something that can’t be avoided if you’re working on a budget, but it can have a jarring effect on the overall listening experience.
Nonetheless, Bloodlines presents an excellent starting platform for Enquire Within to progress from. The ideas in there are interesting and there is a lot of creativity in their ranks, so with a more consistent and tighter production job next time around, they could have something good. For now, you have a real rough product here which requires room to grow into its own. I’ll be keeping an eye on their development to see if they can live up to the expectations they’ve set themselves here.
Stream and purchase the album below on Bandcamp.
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