Review: Ewigkeit – 'Esc (2016)'

EWIGKEIT
'Esc (2016)'
DEATH TO MUSIC PRODUCTIONS

Ewigkeit may not be a name many people are familiar with, but for over 20 years this one man band from the mind of James Fogarty has been making some of the UK's most esoteric metal by far. Blending extreme metal with progressive rock, as well as heavy doses of ambient, symphonic styles (and any other styles that take his fancy), no two releases sound alike.

The last Ewigkeit album, 'Back To Beyond' was released in 2013 and was a spectacular return from his post Earache Records hiatus. Fast-forward to 2016 and with new material in the works Fogarty has given away for free a re-recorded version of the track 'Esc' from 2004's 'Radio Ixtlan' album.

Originally a hard and nasty blend of symphonic-tinged black metal and thrashing electronic drums, the track has been remixed with updated guitars and drums and the end result is a brilliant mix of crazy drum 'n' bass rhythms, symphonic black metal and a subtle prog elements.

The updated mix has brought out the best in the original track with a much more defined execution that is complimented by the new guitar and drums nicely. It's a crisper and clearer expression of the original's intent that reassures us that no matter what genres Fogarty uses in his pallet the new material will sound great.

This may just be a little something for the long-time fans, but for anyone who likes intelligent and experimental extreme music it is a freebie they should not pass-up. Ewigkeit may be an underground entity, but he is one with an already impressive legacy, and this should rightly have people salivating for more.

Posted in: esc 2016,ewigkeit,music