Enlow The Recovery

Personally, I have never had a problem with any particular social/political/religious ideology presented by a band, so long as the music is good. I enjoy records from spirit filled hardcore to Christ-hating black metal, liberal platforms and conservative ones, the patriotic vs the anarchist, straight edge outfits to Murphy's Law. It's never really mattered to me; I've got my paradigm and it's not related to any particular music scene when all is said and done. Unlike many zines, clubs, labels and kids, I just don't care. The only thing I do not have much respect for is so-called "open minded" individuals and more often than not, this argument usually erupts when I try to talk to anyone who lives for "Christcore" or on the other end of the spectrum, those who try to tell me about who/what doesn't belong in hardcore/metal, namely Christianity, and these souls are more often than not people who either used to wear beads and beat on drums for Lord Krishna or are still defending some of the most ignorant organizations/individuals/bands that I can think of. So if you fit into one of these categories, you probably won't dig this review. If not, read on. I remember getting Enlow's previous album about three years ago and thinking it was by the book E-chord metalcore, not particularly awe inspiring, but pretty good. The band broke up about a year earlier, and recently reformed to release "The Recovery." Enlow still busts out copious amounts of chugga chugga parts for gawky, fruitcake kids in girl pants to do the "Losing My Religion" dance to, but unlike their first record, they've slowed things down, added clean vocals and are keeping the Cookie Monster oratory portions to a minimum, invoking comparisons to the majority of the Tooth & Nail/Solid State catalog and similar artists such as Dead Poetic, Underoath, Haste The Day, From First To Last, and Beloved. I don't think I really need to unleash a cavalcade of comparisons and metaphors, as you probably get the picture. I don't completely detest this sound, but at this point in time, it's so pathetic, it makes it hard to speak a good word about the bands who practice it. Enlow has some catchy riffs here and there, but every time they build up something decent with it, the cliches piled on top force an immediate descent in quality. When they try new things (dashes of old school hardcore and death metal), it's just not enough because soon thereafter they go back to formulaic breakdowns. I'd advise Enlow to focus more on their emo/"screamo"/indie/straight up rock tendencies, because while that is equally played out, they've got more skill in that sector and will likely achieve greater success instead of rehashing the mosh heavy material. There was no artwork/lyrics included with the promo but from the looks of the cover and the attached band photo, I don't think much would be said other than this is as standard as it comes. I'm really surprised Enlow didn't go with Barry Poynter as producer, since he's been behind most Tooth & Nail/Christian hardcore records; instead they made an unlikely choice to utilize the talents of Descendents alumni Stephen Egerton, whose roster of clients includes punk/ska names like MxPx, Less Than Jake, and Good Riddance. Egerton's definitely gives Enlow a raw sound, and while it helps them stand out from their fellow Christian metalcore bands, it's not enough to make a huge difference. Bottom Line: As I said earlier, it doesn't matter what your particular stance is; in the ears of any given listener or from a music critics keyboard, you're either good or you aren't. Enlow aren't the worst thing I've ever heard, but I wish they, like so many other bands, would make the choice of either playing hardcore/metal or emo/indie rock. Many groups have tried to blend the two and many failed; it rarely works. Until they settle on a direction, I just don't see these dudes getting much better or going anywhere. They have the musicianship, but the passion, the originality - that certain something is absent. Good luck on finding it guys.