Review Summary: A promising view for where South Florida based Encidius is headed
Encidius is an alternative metal band hailing from Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Originally named Charred Remains in the early stages, the band soon changed their name to Encidius. This new direction announced an overhaul in sound as well as a revolving door of vocalists which managed to plague the band until recent times where stability was finally found. As Encidius, they shifted to a heavier sound while keeping things accessible and suitable for live settings. In the beginning they went down the alternative/hard rock route complete with aggressive riffing and booming choruses which can only go so far with the success of Nonpoint still looming. In the year 2008 the band’s sound has grown harder, heavier, and faster than ever before while embracing a heavier focus to the metal aesthetic. For some time the band was stuck in a quagmire due to the instability revolving around the vocalist position. Singers were leaving the fold quicker than FedEx and times were looking bleak for the band’s future but all of a sudden Encidius finally found the center piece that they’ve been looking for in Jester.
The band traveled to Orlando recently to work with Mark Lewis to discuss a possible debut album/E.P release. I haven’t heard much stemming from the long awaited debut but they did however release a five song E.P in the mean time to appease the masses. I’m not quite sure if or when this will be released on disc but as of now it’s available online. In 2008 Encidius bring a healthy serving of moderately heavy, look at “Blood Runs Cold“, heavier with “False Idols“, even heavier with the bruising “The Sorrow’ and even threw in the standard but quality ballad in “Winter Solstice. The music is pretty straightforward and to the point. The vocal work courtesy of Jester implement’s the good cop/bad cop routine shifting between powerful singing and forceful growls. The choruses are generally pretty catchy and show just enough variation between the verse transitions for me to approve. The guitar churns at an aggressive pace, chugging away like Thomas The Tank Engine speeding down a scenic valley. I guess my only complaint with the riff work would be the lack of variation because heavy is good and all but some uplifting melodies or a solo or two would help break the monotony. Don’t get me wrong the opening melody and breakdowns laced in Blood Runs Cold and The Sorrow respectively play off extremely solid but a little more creativity goes a long way. Doublebass is quick and plentiful as 14 year old Angelo Cedeno blast’s away on his drum kit. The production feeds the drumming with a crisp and powerful aura that envelopes the guitars and vocals perfectly.
Notice that I left out the bass. Frankly, the near absent bass is one of the main cons to this E.P besides the “too close for comfort” songwriting structuring. Shane is a great bass player and it’s a shame that he was tuned so low in the mix. When I listen to a record I want to hear full participation from each and every member from the band so it pains me to say that I was quite disappointed with how the bass turned out. Then again, this is only an E.P so I have full confidence that the band will turn things around just in time for the full length record. Now I’m coming back to the point of songwriting. The song structure is pretty basic and hey, if you can do it well, why mess with success“. Fortunately, Encidius can do it moderately well with a few exceptions. The track “One Man” came off kind of lackluster, missing the spark that set Winter Solstice and False Idols ablaze. If the band decides to get a little creative in the future and thrown in a few curve balls and some key memorable sections then the band has a great shot to reach out to a larger audience. To get far in music, sometimes all it takes is the mighty drawing power of the alluring hook. A few concerns pushed aside, this is an impressive E.P that strikes more than it misses. Accessible enough for the punk/ alternative rock scene and heavy enough for the metal crowd. Listen to it.
