END. : THE NEVER ENDING WHIRL OF CONFUSION
Unsigned
Toulouse-based dark groove metal act END. released “The Never Ending Whirl of Confusion” back in 2005, to a universal round of applause from critics who admired its power and heaviness. It’s landed on our doormat now packaged with a couple of much more recent tunes, penned over the past summer, and with the band getting busy back in the studio again, this collection is a useful reflection of their development and capabilities.
The tracks from 2005 are characterised by a raging, modern metal sound, with guitar tones reminiscent of the aggressive, grooving bands that dominated the American mainstream around a decade ago; the simple, chugging riffs evoke a slowed-down Machine Head. A discordant relentlessness makes for creatively uncomfortable listening; “Absolutely Nothing” and “Desensitised” flag behind a little in terms of dynamism and subtlety, but still have moments of off-the-wall progressive creativity.
The latter half of the older material has a greater interest level; “Beyond the Senses” layers on the gloom in a relentless, rumbling mass, punctuated with energetic outbursts and a wider variety of tones. “Enigma of the Unknown” has a more lively swagger, with a striking spoken word section which contrasts well with Mathieu’s otherwise ferocious harsh howl, which is part extreme metal, part hardcore, and really adds to the claustrophobic and oppressive atmosphere of the EP.
Development between the tracks on “The Never Ending Whirl of Confusion” is much magnified in the space between this release and END.’s 2008 compositions. “Existence Asleep” sees the band make use of a sparser atmosphere to give their music more space to breathe and develop, and is definitely a stand-out track. The grooving aspect of their powerful, crushing sound is still present, but is more underlying and unsettling. Further variety is added in the vocal styles employed, and the structure of the song really builds and grows. In all, listening to END.’s old EP in combination with their new material (which is available for preview on their Myspace) is very enlightening, and shows an impressive trajectory of improvement and reflection. This powerful, complex, progressive, forceful band are one to watch.
69/100
