Ensoph
Opus Dementiae - Per Speculum Et In Aenigmate

Strange creature, that of Ensoph, starting with the name. It is a Hebrew term and indicates a concept of Kabbalah. The Ensoph (or En-Sof or Ain Soph) is the Nothingness, the Nothing from which Everything is generated. It is a complex concept, and I will not dwell on examining it also because I do not know much about it. Ensoph is made up of musicians from the area between the province of Venice and Padua and, over time, they have carried forward a musical proposal as original as it is strange and, at times, challenging. They define it as "Gloomy Avant-Gardism For A [De]Generation Wasted." "And what would that be?" you might ask. The label coined by the group itself tries to describe the whirlwind of sounds, the complex conglomerate of metal, gothic, electro, and industrial that permeates their music; and, along with all this, a lot of personality. Lyrically, the Venetian combo analyzes, under an atheist and areligious lens, the very concept of religion. Visually, they make a great impact as they pair this strange musical creature and the highly philosophical, esoteric, and intricate lyrics with an industrial image, a post-atomic era look, and at times, bordering on blasphemous.

Opening this strange album (dated 2004) is "Jaldabaoth At The Spring Of Time," with an almost tribal start. A mix of flutes, metal, industrial electronics, and quasi-oriental atmospheres is what presents itself to us. The singer Nicholas showcases a voice as sharp as it is versatile. He smoothly transitions from screaming to clean vocals to whispers. Splashes of black metal can be caught here and there in the multitude of other influences incorporated. "In The Flesh (Visione della Passione)" once again brings to mind oriental atmospheres accompanied by a more properly metal approach. The chorus is beautiful and melodic, which bursts into fury more black metal-oriented. "Sophia's Fall" (one of my absolute favorite tracks) begins with industrial effects and Nicholas's whispering voice. "Psychotic" guitar notes accompany the singer's "hallucinated" singing and introduce a compelling chorus with furious screams and a noteworthy soundscape. The drums and bass sustain a hypnotic rhythm, and at the end of the track, a musical pattern made of black metal, screaming, and flutes is repeated several times. Great composition. "Faith Defeat" is another lovely track that navigates the guidelines previously described, mixing metal and industrial.

"Salmo A Nessuno" is an industrial composition introduced by a distorted piano, as if playing an audiotape with occasional manual slowing of the tape with a finger. The "hallucinated" and distorted voice is accompanied by well-suited industrial effects. Chilling is the way Nicholas screams "sia lodato il mio nessuno" (“praised be my nothingness”). The scream without faith, the scream of despair, the scream into the void of the god that isn't there. The last part is accompanied by a beautiful piano score. A very strange track, challenging at first listen. Following is "White Lamb Seducer (40 Days & 40 Nights)," a track less striking compared to the others. "Lies Of The Mirror Which Lies Not" instead strikes and involves more and is another of the tracks I prefer. Next is "Sun Of The Liar", another beautiful track (picked up a couple of years ago, rearranged, and sung by guest Steve Sylvester from the legendary Death SS and included in the EP "The Seductive Dwarf" attached to the digipack version of their "Project X-katòn"), more melodic compared to the others with a stunning chorus. Truly moving is the part in Italian and the accompanying piano. "Proudly Divine (Ink & Mirrors & Empty Tombs)" is another of my favorites and is one of the most aggressive. The screaming and clean vocals in this song are successful, precise, and engaging, all accompanied by the instrumental part supported by creative and capable musicians. The way the Ensoph play is so unique that I don't know how to describe it. Closing is "Sophia's Fall (Sophies Welt RX)", an electro-industrial remix of "Sophia's Fall" by Bruno Kramm of Das Ich.

I want to point out that references to different musical genres should be taken with a grain of salt, as it could be misleading. The music of Ensoph is highly personal and original, and the only true way to understand this strange creature is to listen to it. A group with great personality then, which will go far, unlike the multitude of groups today that vainly try to stand out and emerge.