Entheos are a progressive metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.
Entheos made somewhat of a splash with 2023’s Time Will Take Us All, which means many people are looking forward to see what Empty on the Inside has to offer. Across 41 minutes, Entheos showcase an updated sound that works remarkably well for them.
With Empty on the Inside Entheos present a dynamic record designed to embed its claws firmly in the listener’s skull. The songwriting has been tightened, with average song lengths trending downwards. This additional refinement has brought with it an increased focus on hooks and memorability, as well as greater use of melody and traditional structures.
Entheos have embraced the beating heart that sits inside the music and have allowed it to pulse strongly. Empty on the Inside breathes naturally and freely, benefiting from an instinctual emotive depth that recalls the 90s, but without being beholden to it. In other words, it’s a record informed by the past as much as the present. Entheos have clearly put a lot of care and work into the material. The band’s progressive death metal heart remains intact to an extent, but it’s been diluted and broadened to encompass a wider metallic appeal. There are alternative and nu-metal influences, which temper the technicality, making for songs that strike a balance between precision and feeling.
Empty on the Inside is the most accessible incarnation of Entheos, yet it achieves this largely through smart songwriting. The band have created a record that has increased emotive depth, one that has successfully adopted a less-polished approach alongside this. Rather than a dumbing down of the band’s collective quirks and idiosyncracies, it’s a record that makes the most of the individual skills of the band’s members, but also combines them to produce something greater than the sum of its parts. Empty on the Inside is a strong and enjoyable album.
Very highly recommended.
