CoC : Enthroned - Gothic Disturbance '98 : Review

Enthroned - _Gothic Disturbance '98_
(Independent, 1998)
by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10)

Although there have been some rumors of a re-formation of Florida's Nocturnus (mostly from unreliable sources), until they actually do get back together, these guys are as close as you'll get. Enthroned (from northern CA, USA -- not to be confused with the Belgian Enthroned) recently got a new singer / bass player and decided it was a good opportunity to re-record the songs from _Gothic Disturbance_ [CoC #21] along with some older songs and put them on CD. This was definitely a wise move, as this recording fixes some of the problems with their previous release. In particular, the playing is much tighter and the production is better. However, the guitar solos still have a trace of the "I'm playing as fast as I can" syndrome, and the guitar tones in the solos sometimes seem out of place. Other than that, the production and playing are excellent. The guitar and bass work is technical and tight, and the keyboards are especially well done: knowing when to play along with the guitars and when to do their own thing. All of the songs feature a technical sci-fi death/thrash style very similar to the one pioneered by Nocturnus. The complexity of the music, the way the guitar lines are put together, and the interplay between the keyboards and the guitars, all are reminiscent of Nocturnus. Enthroned seem to be a little thrashier (i.e., more like _The Key_) and slightly less technical, but their music is still much more complex than most death metal bands. This is a must-own for fans of Nocturnus and all fans of technical or sci-fi death metal.

Contact: ENTRONED, 2231 Nobili Ave., Santa Clara, CA, 95051, USA

(article published 19/11/1998)

ALBUMS
10/3/2007	Q Kalis	5.5	Enthroned - Tetra Karcist
12/13/2004	J Smit	6	Enthroned - Xes Haereticum
7/7/1999	P Schwarz	7	Enthroned - The Apocalypse Manifesto
6/7/1998	A Wasylyk	3	Enthroned - Regie Sathanas
4/18/1996	S Hoeltzel	8	Enthroned - Prophecies of Pagan Fire
1/17/1996	G Filicetti	8	Enthroned - Thy Flesh Consumed

DEMOS
6/7/1997	B Meloon	4	Enthroned - Gothic Disturbance
8/12/1995	G Filicetti		Enthroned - Absence of Life

GIGS
1/15/2000	P Azevedo	Marduk / Angelcorpse / Enthroned	Night of the Living Corpses