Isenordal - Requiem for Eirênê

Angry Metal Guy

There’s one music quality I treasure above all else: dynamism. Without conscious thought I find myself drifting towards music in the promo pool promising varied or creative music. In the case of Washington’s Isenordal, the one sheet for their third full-length release, entitled Requiem for Eirênê, described music fusing funeral doom, black metal and neofolk. Few albums pledge such dynamism so I was eager to hear their take on this blend, and discover whether it would be as exciting as the description.

At first brush, Eirênê appears to adopt the lengthy, slow style of funeral doom, comprising just four main tracks running over eleven minutes each with a brief interlude in the middle. The real position is a little more varied. “A Moment Approaches Eternity” opens with an organ, cello and wind samples, which build a contemplative mood before the big but slow doom commences with heavy chords and a string section. Blackened screeches herald the arrival of black metal proper after a few minutes, developing the song with a new pace and intensity. Likewise, the back half of this track also conveys the greatest strength of the record; namely, its gradual but satisfying song progressions. The song smoothly flows between its core styles, from blackened barrages to stomping rhythms and back again. Isenordal leverage lots of sounds but weaves them together reasonably harmoniously.

Requiem for Eirênê by Isenordal

When Eirênê blends its doom and black metal across its heavy passages, it’s at its best. The highlights feel climactic and overwhelming, including parts from “A Moment Approaches Eternity” and “Epiphanies of Abhorrence and Futility.” Isenordal find a way of making their heavy music unpredictable and intriguing. Sadly this contrasts strongly with the softer moments. While the two aforementioned tracks avoid the lethargy I tend to associate with doom metal, “Await Me Ultima Thule” and “Requiem for Eirênê” have it in spades. The melodies are pleasant at best, boring at worst. I like music that balances heavy with light but the apathy I experience over the opening five minutes of “Await Me Ultima Thule” demonstrate that Isenordal’s light qualities are unable to balance the stronger heavier ones into wholly enjoyable songs. The eleven minutes of this track feel much longer than the fifteen of the opener. This feeling extends into the short-but-feels-long piano-led interlude. I like Isenordal when they’re aiming for grand. But they’re nowhere near as good at being delicate.

Moreover, the few notable guitar leads (the rhythmic stomp from 9:15 on “A Moment Approaches Eternity,” the blackened maelstrom from 2:15 on “Epiphanies of Abhorrence and Futility”) highlight their general absence otherwise. I’m not left with a sense that Eirênê is stuffed with great riffs, which is an issue for a metal album. The leads are also buried in the mix by the rhythms, piano and strings. Metal with strings tends to form the dynamic music I enjoy most but here the ornamentation comes at the expense of the lead guitars which should occupy the core of the album. I also find an unfavorable weight devoted to the vocals as the death vox are deep and powerful, but the floating cleans are comparatively forgettable. There’s more of the latter when the former is clearly superior, contributing to the sense that the metal elements are subjugated to the non-metal ones, to Eirênê’s detriment.

Eirênê represents a chunky package; lengthy, but also densely compacted with detailed and varied music. Afforded the right headspace, it can have an impressive impact. But the music isn’t consistently strong enough – nor does it always focus on the right qualities – to demand my praise throughout. There’s an exciting band in Isenordal, but too much of the music on Eirênê is unexciting.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: bandcamp.isenordal.com | facebook.com/isenordal
Releases Worldwide: March 8th, 2024

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