enkElenation (or Angel Nation for the English translation) are based in London, but were formed by (and are fronted by) Finnish singer Elina Siirala. Their debut album Tears of Lust has just appeared and the band wrote and asked for me to give it a listen.
Their musical genre is melodic metal and with Elina’s vocals very much at the forefront of the sound, they make for very pleasant listening. For a sample, check out the video for the title track below.
The album includes more of the same, but not so much that it gets at all tiring. The overall sound is constant – Elina’s vocals are always clear and the instruments sit behind them, coming to the fore during solos and the like. This is no bad thing and it makes for songs with nice, clear lyrics.
To give the musicians their due, there isn’t a bad moment from them. Simple melodies and rhythms in the background, but crunching intros and soaring solos where required. There’s definitely a lot of “metal” sound in there, but the verses and choruses are toned down a little to suit the singing. To be fair, good though Elina’s voice is (and it is), it just wouldn’t suit a really heavy track… although I always live it when I’m proved wrong with something like this!
This is a strong album, and particularly impressive being a debut. While the songs make be a little slow for some, I’d heartily recommend it to any fan of symphonic/melodic metal. EnkElenation don’t come across as “another gothy female-fronted band” and do genuinely have a sound of their own. A good sound at that.
Standout tracks? There are a few, but I’ll pick out “Reborn”, “Higher Ground” and “Last Time Together” because it’s so different to the rest of the album and shows another side to the band.
