PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Portugal’s Enchantya deliver a superb debut album to rock your socks off.
Formed in 2004 when vocalist Rute Fevereiro decided to take a break from Portugal’s first all female Metal band ‘Black Widow’. The early days saw 
a demo (Moonlighting The Dreamer) released in 2005 and then following line up changes, the remainder of the bands history has been largely made up of home ground television appearances, touring and building a fan base and reputation.
The break came when Germany’s Massacre Records snapped the band up, and as by now a stable line up was in place ,the band were able to enter the studios to get cracking with the debut album ’Dark Rising’.
What struck me immediately when listening to the album was how strong Rute’s vocal delivery is, with an expansive range from Operatic to Melodic to Growl and most points in between, all expertly balanced with some really bombastic musicianship, reminiscent in places of early Nightwish and Epica.
Starting with a haunting instrumental intro, the band dive straight in at the deep end with the excellent ’No Stars In The Sky’, from that point on the record just grows and grows, both in strength of composition and delivery. Tracks such as ‘Your Tattoo’ and especially ‘She Devil’ must be right up there with anything the genres elite could produce, pure Gothic Symphonic mastery. However, when we get to the title track, the heat gets turned up another notch, if that were at all possible, culminating in one of the best tracks you will hear anywhere, featuring superb guitar work from Nuno Seven and Emanuel Henriques.
The album has a few quieter moments as well, the beautiful piano and synth laden ‘Winter Dreams’, which builds to a fantastic crescendo led by Rute’s faultless vocal. Normal service is resumed soon after though, album closer being the glorious six minute plus ’Moonlighting The Dreamer’, a song which proves to be a fitting finale to an immensely impressive album.
This will without doubt satisfy the most critical and discerning fans of Female Fronted Metal and should propel the band to a higher level very quickly.
Rating 9/10.
Track Listing;
1. Unwavering Faith.
2. No Stars In The Sky.
3. Night In Whisper.
4. Clad In Black.
5. Longing For You.
6. Your Tattoo.
7. She Devil.
8. Ocean Drops.
9. Dark Rising.
10. Winter Dreams.
11. Fear Me When You Fall.
12. Interlude/ Become Of Me.
13. Moonlighting The Dreamer.
ENCHANTYA are;
Rute Fevereiro – Vocals.
Nuno Seven – Guitar.
Emanuel Henriques – Guitar.
Manuel Pinto – Bass Guitar.
Joao P Monteiro – Drums.
Luis ’Vlad’ Fernandes – Keyboards and Synths.
Out now via Massacre Records.
http://www.facebook.com/EnChanTya
http://www.massacre-records.de
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQYkxTJAHOY?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
