Ennui - Qroba

Ennui is a funeral doom metal band from the country of Georgia, who formed in 2012.  Their latest album, “Qroba,” is their fifth full-length album; they have released two splits.

Where has this band been all my life?  How did I miss them until now?  This album is goddamn fantastic.  “Qroba,” has the length and depth one would expect with funeral doom, but it doesn’t plod, or spend too much time trapped in its own world.  It’s slow (as it should be) but every second, every song, has a purpose that moves the songs ever forward.

I’m feeling the production/mix a lot too.  It’s open and dynamic, allowing the changes within the songs to not only be hurt but also FELT.  The bass sets perfectly amongst the other instruments too—bass should be the most important instrument in any genre but especially for doom and on this album, it is enthralling and monolithic. 

I love the natural and effortless flow to the songs.   Just check out the opening song, “Antinatalism,” and its nearly 11-minute length that only feels about five minutes long.  It begs for repeat listens and each time something new is discovered as if it's growing and changing with each listen.  The simple but clean tones ring out through the deep of the riffs, a shining light in the darkness that isn’t too bright to take away the horror but just enough to illuminate things that want to remain unseen.  The middle passage kicks up the tempo, a brutal display that shows that doom can bring the energy when it is called upon.

The band is at their best when all the instruments fall together with incredible weight, a slow asteroid of inevitability that doesn’t explode but just keeps mounting pressure until everything just gives in.  “Becoming Void,” is what I’m speaking of.  From one moment to the next, this is a prime example of funeral doom.   The low rumble of the death growls is an instrument unto themselves, melding into the slow-motion fury.  The last few minutes are laced with wonderful lead guitar harmonies and melodies that up the atmosphere. 

“Down, to the Stars,” might be my favorite on the album because it really embraces its namesake.  The keys in the beginning do make the song cold and alien, a bleak void of deathly unknown.   The song builds up nicely, each element complimenting the other one.  The leads and keys continue to let loose atmospheric elements while the drums and bass hammer down, everything swirling together in a macabre dance that winds the song down into a clean/ambient section that embraces the soundscapes before tunneling out the other side into a new world of distortion. 

The slow, grinding riffs of “Mokvda Mze,” are just what is needed to end the album.  I love it when bands get incredibly heavy and melodic in a subtle way and that is just what the beginning of the song is.  At the 4:47 mark and the 9:39 mark, the song fades into a starry exploration, capped on both ends by cavernous exploration.  

Ennui’s “Qroba,” is a nice surprise for me and I’m kicking myself for not discovering them sooner but very clearly this album is a great starting point for anyone new to the band.  This is doom. 

Rating: Excellent