• Лейбъл: ITSI
• Издаден: 2014
• Aвтор: Стефан Топузов
• Оценка:

More than ten years ITSI have existed as an unique monstrous hybrid that inhabits the borderline of the most extreme of metal genres, while meanwhile having its one foot firmly in alternative music territory.

Well, now having undergone complete transformation – only two musicians from the lineup that recorded their previous album remain – in its third full length, 'Engur,' the band delivers a frontal attack of brutal technical death metal. Such a change in style may seen drastic to some, but in the case of ITSI it had been bubbling under the surface for a long time. Now it explodes.

And it does so in a rather impressive fashion! Following a short atmospheric intro with sounds of running water and mysterious whispers over it, opener 'Fresh Meat' falls on you like an avalanche of crooked death metal riffs, vile vocals and double bass drums – overwhelming and dragging you mercilessly to the very end of the album.
 
ITSI's attack continues with the same force in songs like 'Leeching,' 'Pleasers of Installation' and 'Eternal Beings,' the brutality being interrupted rarely for lyrical moments like the end of 'Edelweiss.' Even though the album is divided into separate songs, it is rather one monolithic monster, the pieces of which flow into each other, following a thematic thread that connects its beginning and end into a full circle.

Tempos finally slow down to some atmospheric doom in the end of 'The Old Invoker,' that flows seamlessly into the proggy final cut 'Leap' – that in turn fades into the same sound of running water that the album begins with.

It is exactly that conceptual depth that is 'Engur's greatest quality. In a time when a great number of metal bands seem preoccupied solely with the way they sound, ITSI have made an effort to actually say something.

Under the surface in this new album lay some fascinating facts – like the inhuman drums that have been recorded 100% live, or that the lyrics were written under the influence of nothing but the music, without any predetermined ideas or concepts. Also, ITSI's denial to explain what 'Engur' is about suggests the band is confident enough in its album that they think it deserves your time and attention so you could get to the answers on your own. And their confidence is justified.