Formed in 2012, in Tbilisi, Georgia, by David Unsaved and Serge Shengelia, Ennui have become a revered force in the funeral doom genre. The band, now expanded and completed by the addition of Alexander Gongliashvili, Andre Azatyan and Kakhi Kiknadze, have carved out a place for themselves in the annals of the doomed with their supremely heavy and emotively melodic music and their considered lyrical explorations of life, death and the other fundamental concerns of human existence. Over the course of four unique albums, each demonstrating a continual musical and philosophical evolution, Ennui have garnered plaudits from critics around the globe, with even writers who would customarily avoid the slow, harrowing sounds of funeral doom being drawn under their spell. Now, as this new year dawns, Ennui are poised to unveil their most powerful and effecting release to date – Qroba.
Beginning with the colossal ‘Antinatalism’, Qroba – the meaning of which the band describe as “a fading of presence. The moment when light withdraws and leaves space for something colder, heavier, and final” – is simply stunning in its depth and gravity. The fantasies and fripperies of an unconsidered life crumble into dust beneath the ineffable force of the guitars, leaving behind a scouring clarity of vision, a simple understanding of existence, unclouded by false hope. An impossibly deep voice, like a rumbling in the Earth’s crust, forms as much of a bedrock to the music as the monolithic drum beats and bass notes. It’s difficult to express just how heavy Ennui are and yet their music is about far more than just immeasurable weight and power. The sound of the panduri, a traditional Georgian lute, weaves its way through several of the songs on Qroba, bringing a unique flavour and atmosphere to the Ennui sound. The ringing, crystalline notes, carved from ice, that usher in ‘Becoming Void’ send a chill through the skin, cooling the blood and slowing the heart. The passage of mesmerising resonance that begins the heart-rending conclusion that is ‘Mokvda Mze’ are as special and vital as the unparalleled bleak power to be found beneath the pitiless gaze of ‘Down To The Stars’. Sitting in the eye of Qroba’s slow moving storm, ‘Decima’ brings all the elements of Ennui’s shattering sound together perfectly; the relentless and emotive, the spirit crushing and the beautiful. Together, these five sprawling songs form a work of breathtaking import and accomplishment.
Mixed and mastered by Esoteric’s Greg Chandler (Officium Triste, My Silent Wake, Pantheist etc), Qroba has exactly the sonic palette it needs to deliver its message with the maximum impact, with every nuance and detail given its space within the tumultuous waves of sound. With the package completed by the expressive and wonderfully realised artwork of Ben J ‘Winterkeep’ (Ofnus), Qroba is the definitive expression of Ennui’s overwhelming music. Meuse Music Records will send Qroba forth on February 27th…look for the darkening of the sky…
Find out more about Ennui at IPR here
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