Album Details

• Artist: Enio
• Album: Immolate
• Label: Enio Chiola Music/Flashing Green Light
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: archelon on 2010-04-26

Media

If there are any singer/songwriter/producer/musicians out there with more soul and passion in their voice than Enio then we've all been missing a trick. Having spent so much time learning both how to make an album and writing songs to go on it, he seems very into the 'indie' ethic of DIY - we all know the tune. "I consider deviation from a self-made self produced self-marketed record an act of cowardice!" (not a direct quote, by the way).

I'd also like to add that the reason all the major labels aren't so keen to give musicians creative control is that they sometimes put some really weird things into their albums. Enio's voice at first seems electronically altered but the alteration fades... nope, it's back... oh, it's gone again. Unnerving? Actually, no. But very much a mood creator.

As we are wafted gently through the intensities of pain and love, battles with fellow man and with God, the random electronic twiddles also waft to the back of your mind. They're still there - 'Under Water' is a prominent example, but for once they don't take away from the songwriting, they just pile emotion on emotion until you're left with a complex world of sound.

By contrast, there are some decidedly more organic approaches on this album. 'Run Boy' sounds more conventional but is no less engrossing and lyrically excellent. 'God' is another stand-out track , borrowing sounds from all corners of the globe (if you listen, you'll see what I mean) and, is that notes of Placebo I hear?

Enio rollercoasters through 'Immolate' with the tenacity of a 3-year-old with ADHD and the emotional saturation of Saving Private Ryan. The result is a switching, fixating album that you don't understand but one that you feel involved in and will want to listen again and again. And that, major labels, is why you let the artists do their good work.

User Reviews and Comments

Review:

on 2010-04-22 hollyj3 Said:

I've been listening to Enio's new album for a few weeks now and loving it! There are a few songs such as Run Boy and Under Water that are quickly becoming some of the most played on my iPod - each time I listen to them I hear a new bit that I really like. The mix of vocals and the original sound that this album presents is enchanting. I really recommend that those already familiar with Enio's music as well as those coming across it for the first time give it a listen...and then another and another!
Not Rated

Review:

on 2010-04-20 Nella Said:

I have heard Enio's musical evolution over the years and am both positively surprised and impressed by his latest album, Immolate. I think Enio has found himself in his music on this album. His sound is very different from his early days, which consisted mainly of acoustic guitar or piano and strong vocals, but the power behind his lyrics and their meaning is still there, enhanced by his new, intriguing electronic sound.
Each song has a unique style and the album can both energize or calm and mellow me out, depending on how I'm listening to it. Chilling songs like Make Do, Under water, and QuietLife provide the perfect calm to temper the tracks that will get your heart-beat going, like Run Boy, Thirteen and Obsequious.
I think it's a testament to Enio's talent as a musician that the album flows so smoothly. He is able to make unique songs flow, highlighting a range of musical styles and sounds while making it the kind of album that you want to listen to cover to cover and then all over again.

Not Rated

Review:

on 2010-04-20 jakekingston Said:

Enio's album has the passion and intensity so many artists are lacking these days. He combines the electronic rock production that is becoming more and more popular, but instead of contributing canned hipster apathetic type lyrics, he chooses to right with emotion and clarity.

The album begins with "To Make Do", a song that although Enio admits is no longer suitable for his life, still has a profound resonance. It is the perfect opening song, jumping right in to the haunting "Under Water", a song about a crime of passion and forgiveness--absolutely beautiful. But the album isn't all mellow. Tracks like "Run Boy", "Knee-Jerk", "Thirteen", "God", and "Obsequiious" proove to us what Enio can do armed with synthesizers, a kick-ass drum section, and a keyboard or two. Each song evokes the pop in Enio, without being too superficially pop--it's pop, with a conscience.

The album ends with "Quiet Life", an unexpected left turn into solo piano jazz, a truly beautiful and nice surprise. This is one of the best releases of the year, from a talented do-it-all introspective Canadian artist. He did after all, play every single instrument on this record.
Rating: 10/10