SPIRIT ADRIFT

Enlightened in Eternity

20 Buck Spin / Century Media
rating icon 7 / 10

Track listing:

1. Ride Into The Light
2. Astral Levitation
3. Cosmic Conquest
4. Screaming From Beyond
5. Harmony Of The Spheres
6. Battle High
7. Stronger Than Your Pain
8. Reunited In The Void


Since starting SPIRIT ADRIFT as a solo project in 2015, after a stint with Phoenix goth-metallers TAKE OVER AND DESTROY, vocalist/guitarist/bassist Nate Garrett has gradually evolved the project from an exercise in melodic doom-metal to a well-oiled heavy metal powerhouse, all while maintaining the sense of beautiful melancholy that drove his initial works. The latest record released under the SPIRIT ADRIFT name, "Enlightened in Eternity", sees Garrett once again performing as a mostly one-man show, with drumming duties filled by Marcus Bryant on his third outing with Garrett. Through 2017's "Curse of Conception" and 2019's "Divided By Darkness", Garrett has shifted more and more into a traditional heavy metal direction. "Enlighted in Eternity" is perhaps Garrett's purest statement of heavy metal intention so far, but the head-on embrace of thrashy riffs and fast-paced energy has come at a price, as SPIRIT ADRIFT simply no longer feels as special as it did on previous albums.

During an era where there are literally dozens of bands adequately replicating traditional metal sounds, and numerous more mining melancholic doom for their musical inspirations, SPIRIT ADRIFT had become cult favorites due to their expert juggling of these two forces, to the point where each of their last two records were featured prominently on many year-end lists. Garrett's foray into a more straightforwardly metallic direction here is still executed well. The new record launches with "Ride Into The Light", an anthemic ripper with plenty of energetic rushes, hearty bellows from Garrett, and a big-arena feel that is playing to the front row and the cheap seats. The first half of "Astral Levitation" is a power-driven stomper that seems to mine BLACK SABBATH's Ronnie James Dio-era, down to a thumping bass line that shares similarity with the one that helped make "Heaven and Hell" a classic song. The second half of the track sees Garrett excelling at harmonized guitar solos from the IRON MAIDEN playbook. The majority of "Enlighted in Eternity" from this point forward abounds with hard-driving riffs and arena-sized anthems, as well as the warm guitar tones that have been one of SPIRIT ADRIFT's most endearing characteristics, which so far remain intact.

That said, if you have already been a dedicated converted fan of SPIRIT ADRIFT thanks to their previous efforts, the dynamic ebbs-and-flows of those records are lost in their current quest for heavy metal glory. The only moment on "Enlightened in Eternity" that evokes past successes is the closing track, a ten-minute journey called "Reunited In The Void". The melodic trudge that Garrett has shown to be a master of on previous records is hypnotic once again here, and he soars with atmospheric vocals and the record's most beautiful guitar tones, before the metallic crunch roars back in for the final minutes of the track with a captivating display of bluesy shred-guitar.

It's that mix of the trudge and the power that SPIRIT ADRIFT excelled at so much on previous records. The turn towards faster-paced metal endeavors on "Enlightened in Eternity" are still done well, but the final moments of the record just make it clearer that the more eclectic approach is missed throughout the previous seven tracks.

Author: Jason Roche
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).