Endonomos II – Enlightenment: An Exploration of Dualities

Endonomos II – Enlightenment masterfully balances melody and heaviness, offering an intense and introspective journey through life’s darkest forces, with moments of clarity emerging from the chaos

Endonomos II – Enlightenment, the sophomore effort from Austrian doom/death band Endonomos, delivers a richly layered experience that builds upon the strength of their excellent 2022 self-titled debut. This record finds the band honing their sound into a powerful fusion of ominous heaviness and sweeping melodies, creating an intensely atmospheric and emotionally resonant experience.

A title like Enlightenment naturally creates straightforward expectations. Yet in Endonomos II – Enlightenment, the title is deeply ironic, pointing to a quest for clarity and understanding that is far from tranquil. Rather than providing peace, the album thrusts the listener into a raw confrontation with the darkest elements of existence. Even a glance at the cover art reveals something unsettling, blending an aura of sanctity with a haunting depiction of death, signaling that something is profoundly off.

The contrast in the artwork mirrors the dualities within the music itself: life and death, purity and corruption, serenity and chaos. The bloody, baby-like figure on the cover could represent humanity’s return to its brutal, unrefined state, stripped of societal comforts and religious ideals, while the skull-headed nun reflects the cold reality of mortality. The clash between religious imagery and grotesque symbolism ties into the album’s questioning of divine purpose, showing that the journey toward understanding is anything but serene.

Image source: Endonomos Bandcamp

At just over nine minutes, the opening track, Inversion, expertly balances slow, foreboding passages with thunderous riffs, embodying the album’s theme of enlightenment through hardship. The haunting clean vocals provide brief moments of clarity within the chaos, while the death growls intensify the overwhelming sense of doom that saturates the song. Fans of early Paradise Lost and Katatonia will recognize the band’s skill in fusing melody with an oppressive atmosphere, crafting a sound that is both hauntingly beautiful and relentlessly bleak.

The second track, Atheon Anarkhon, takes its title from the Greek words for “godless” and “without ruler.” It is a song that delves into themes of spiritual desolation, where divine order has crumbled, leaving only chaos in its wake, as well as an uncertain future. The music reflects this, with dissonant, jagged riffs that feel unpredictable, yet controlled. The vocals shift between haunting cleans and growls, representing the existential duality of a world in turmoil.

Hostile, featuring guest vocals from Daniel Droste of oceanic doom giants Ahab, delivers a collaboration that feels vast and intimate at the same time. The dual vocal performance adds a powerful intensity, mirroring the inner turmoil of the human spirit. This track serves as a convergence for fans of Ahab, Evoken, and Mournful Congregation, combining crushing heaviness with profound emotional depth.

The album concludes with Kafir Qal’a, a track named after an ancient Afghan fortress, meaning “Fortress of the Infidel.” With its blasphemous thematic undertones, it is the most direct and aggressive song on the record, and it shines as the highlight due to its relentless intensity. The track channels unrestrained anger, featuring a harsher and more forceful sound compared to the rest of the album. It leaves a powerful sense of unresolved fury, a feeling that could be further explored and developed in Endonomos’ future works.

In their sophomore release, Endonomos demonstrates a mastery of balancing dualities – melody and heaviness, clean vocals and growls, spiritual ascendant and existential dread. These contrasts are what make Endonomos II – Enlightenment such a compelling listen. Unlike its title, Enlightenment offers no easy answers, but confronts with the primal forces of life and death head-on, finding moments of clarity amid the chaos.

Endonomos – Endonomos II – Enlightenment, 2024 | Argonauta Records
@ Bandcamp | Facebook