ENID — Munsalvaesche (review)

Album · 2011 · Folk Metal

3.5/5 · 2011-11-08
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Munsalvaesche is the fifth full-length album from German metal act Enid. The album was released in 2011 and is the band’s first release since 2004’s Gradwanderer. Munsalvaesche is mostly the work of musician Martin Wiese, who handles most of the instrumentation and the vocals, while the remainder is performed by session musicians. The album is inspired by the medieval work Parzival, written by Wolfram von Eschenbach.

Although Enid began as a black metal act Munsalvaesche is very far removed from the style. Although most openly symphonic in style, the melodies of the album are straight up medieval influenced folk that is extremely atmospheric and never fails to conjure up images of the past. The vocals, which are mostly in a clean style although there are some growls as well, also fit this mood perfectly, although I have to be honest, this is one case where I could really do without the growls. Sometimes on an album with mostly clean vocals a few growls do a lot of wonders to really spice up a particular section of the music (a good example would be the song Streams by prog metal act Haken), but on Munsalvaesche they feel, unfortunately, unnecessary. I guess the use of the growls allows the album to retain some identity with Enid’s roots, but that’s really as far as their usefulness goes.

It’s actually a fair way into the album before we get to hear any metal since the opening track Red Knight completely forgoes the main genre in favour of an epic medieval flavoured opening performed as an orchestral piece. This track is, funnily enough for a metal album, one of the most epic things about the release, and a stunning opener. I like that it is a full track and not just a fancy introduction which barely lasts any time whatsoever. It’s only when we get a little way into Legends from the Storm that the metal finally kicks in and it fits in with the mood set up by Red Knight well enough, although somehow it did manage to lose a little bit of the really epic nature that the opening track held for me. It is still well composed and performed music though, and I like how Martin Wiese’s vocals become a part of the soundscape while also having memorable lyrical lines. The trouble for me is I could easily have listened to an entire album in the vein of Red Knight quite happily and will a great album all the same, there are very few moments after Red Knight ends that really capture the same level of greatness as said track.

Other highlights of the album appear later in the album and back to back. Both The Journey and Valley Under Two Suns stand as the best songs in the metal style that Munsalvaesche has to offer. Enid really captured the sound perfectly on these two, especially on The Journey which also is as close as the album comes to the atmosphere of Red Knight. All the tracks are good and have their masterful moments, though I would argue that the approach used in Belrapeire doesn’t do the medieval atmosphere any favours and while an interesting track it feels out of place on this particular album, making it the exception to the rule. Ironically when taking it out of context it’s not actually the weakest track on the album, a dubious accolade I have to hand to Condwiramurs, a track that despite being more in keeping with the album’s atmosphere than Belrapeire actually came across as a little boring.

As a whole package though Munsalvaesche is an enjoyable release with a unique take on metal music, but it does suffer ultimately from a little bit of inconsistency, something that is perhaps most evident by how far into the album it is before it gives up its post Red Knight gems. A certain spark is missing in much of the album in other words. This is however quite the intriguing release and I expect that if Enid keeps going down this track in the future we’ll be in for a real treat. For now this is pushing towards being great but does fall short by a small margin. Munsalvaesche is still an album I’d recommend to the listener looking for the more unique sound from the metal genre.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven, scored at 7.3/10)