This one here is an excellent album. Let’s start by saying that. I had never heard of the Portuguese band Enchantya, not even by name, and I was absolutely surprised by the quality and diversity of their music and by the album in general. A lot of Metal purists often complain that Symphonic Metal is not aggressive enough to be considered real Metal and often dismiss the whole subgenre as a whole. Well, let me tell you, Enchantya has all the balls a Symphonic Metal band could have and then some. Their approach to the genre is astounding. It is true that many Sympho bands are only (lesser) carbon copies of the old classics like Epica and Nightwish, but some bands like Enchantya take the classics and give them an extra boost of energy and quality.
These guys play Symphonic Metal which dwells on the more aggressive side of the spectrum. Still very theatrical and even cheesy sometimes, but all tied up with a spectacular level of skill and musicianship displayed by every band member. The drumming is as tight and solid as you could get, the guitars are always on point and often bringing some genuinely crushing riffs, the keyboards and orchestral arrangements are epic and beautiful, and the voice of singer Rute Fevereiro is out of this world. Her timbre reminds me a bit of Sharon Den Adel, especially when singing clean and with a head voice, but then she switches to some great quality growls, and it all becomes even more epic. Her range and control is one of the highlights of the album.
“Cerberus” starts with “Karma”. I love a good and epic intro track, one that builds the tension perfectly and lays the cards for everything else that is to come. “Karma” is one of these great intro tracks that are definitely not a skip. “All Down in Flames” quickly kicks in as the first real song of the album with a bombastic start. From this song, we can quickly realize the band’s perfect balance between melody and aggressiveness.
This is an excellent opener. “Lunar Fire” is next with its proggy intro, heavy riffs, theatrical segments, and a bit of whimsy thrown into the chorus. There is even a Black Metal section with perfectly executed blast beats. Not as memorable as the opener, but still an excellent song. Next comes “#Alone,” with its very fast main riff section that quickly becomes one of the best songs in the album. The chorus is super enjoyable. This song’s only fault is that the lyrics can be a little bit kooky at times. ”Prana” is a nice little piano-led intermission track that calms the waters a bit and brings a new atmosphere as ”Rising Star” quickly kicks in. This song is pure and unadulterated Power Metal, and it is absolutely awesome. A synth-led main riff takes us to a syncopated verse that works really well. The guitar work in this song is exceptional as well. One of my favourites as well.
The 2nd half of the album gives us a slower start in the form of the epic song “Existence”. Clear arabesque influences tint this whole song, including Rute’s vocals. The intro is perfect, and when the riff kicks in, it becomes really intense. Still on the Power Metal side of things and a great song, but not as memorable as “Rising Star”. Probably a different placement in the album could have made this one stand out even more.
“United we Stand” is probably the most aggressive and headbang-able intro section in the album. The chorus is really anthemic and really brings the song together, even when the verses are quite different. “Anima” is next, and I don’t think the album needed a 2nd instrumental interlude. It is a nice one, but it feels a bit like it breaks the intense mood the previous song brought us, especially when the next one is “Collective Souls” with its face-ripping riffing that quickly becomes the fastest song in the album. An extremely theatrical song with an amazing vocal delivery where Rute displays an impressive range and versatility. “Sons of Chaos” is another excellent song. It starts really slow, tricking you into thinking you are in for some calm, but quickly becomes into a monster of a song that sounds more like Arch Enemy than Nightwish, or maybe the perfect combination of both.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and “Cerberus” does so in style with the excellent album closing track “Inward”. This last song is basically the band showing off all their skills and abilities in 7 minutes. This song is a perfect summary of what the whole album is about, and it works marvels as an album closing song. It really leaves you wanting for more.
Production-wise, this album is generally very good. I would have loved to hear a more thunderous bass, as sometimes it can feel pretty thin, but it never feels inadequate. The songs sound really good, and I can hear every instrument almost all the time. The balance between the symphonic background and front layers, like vocals and guitar leads, is also very well achieved. It is not often that I find a brand new band (for me) that manages to surprise me in a really positive way from the first listen, and Enchantya has managed to do it. “Cerberus” is an excellent album that shows a very mature, professional and talented group of musicians playing the music they love, and that love shows in every nook and corner of the album.
“Cerberus” is an absolute recommendation from me to any Metal fan.
Album highlights: Sons of Chaos, United We Stand, #Alone, Rising Star
For fans of: Within Temptation, Epica, Arch Enemy, Dark Sarah
Enchantya: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Inverse Records
Category: Album
Country: Portugal
Reviewed by Roman Ibarra