ENTERA
The War Goes On
(self-financed)
43:52min
In case you weren’t aware (and you probably weren’t), Germany’s ENTERA is an old band, having formed in 1990. Their discography, however, lightly peppered with releases here and there over a 19 year period, leaves one wondering what, if anything, the band did in the many intervening years between albums. Judging from the way this album is mixed (the first I’ve heard from ENTERA), not much, except crafting a surprisingly adept Thrash album. On the surface the album resembles a modern C-grade band’s attempt at Thrash. But we must remember ENTERA formed in 1990, put out an EP in 1993, and finally released their debut album in 2000. So, though sparsely active, the band has a firm claim to the old school. Musically this album has all the trappings of 80s Thrash: decipherable, but not weak, vocals, fast drum beats, and decent hooks and riffs. But it’s almost not enough; the production is so thin it borders on anorexic. A bone dry sound robs all the guitars and drums of much of their vigor, while the vocals and bass sound turned up, resulting in an uneven balance. It’s tolerable for a few songs, but when half the album runs its course in this way, sitting through the remainder feels like a chore. As to the quality of the Thrash, I don’t hear anything remarkable, nothing KREATOR didn’t do. Thus, if you’re a die hard for German Thrash, I would suggest giving ENTERA a go - but don’t hold your breath. There are better albums in life. www.entera.org, www.myspace.com/enterathrashmetal
Nat Shapiro
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