Don’t you love it when the music description in the promo sheet hits the nail on its head? And in the case of Eneferens it wasn’t easy at all, but the main trait of In the Hours Beneath has been undeniably identified correctly. For the longest time I have not heard the album so multifaceted, and it is specifically diversity that the label emphasized about Eneferens. The only disagreement I have with the band’s description is calling Eneferens black atmospheric metal. It is much more than that ....

Describing In the Hours Beneath in a track by track fashion is the most futile of tasks. I am going to give you a glimpse, but I am likely to fail. Eneferens manages to shift moods and styles within a single track several times. There are rich dreamy acoustic passages with adding layers of keyboards, with a touch of heaviness and distortion creeping in (Morning). Similar dreamy acoustics can quickly grow into blastbeat powered muscular riffs, with beautiful melodies still flowing nevertheless (Ascension). Refuge brings on a heavy doom chug with melody traveling atop, then orderly chug sliding into chaos, but eventually closing with a dreamy hibernating state. Yet, more importantly than saying what approach Eneferens takes to express the feelings is to explain the feelings themselves In the Hours Beneath invoked. And that, in and of itself, was a kaleidoscope.

Just like Chrysanthemum is ancient, bearish, native, and all at the same deathly distorted and uncomfortable, until Moonlight Sonata-like closing brings it to the end, Morning is wistful and soothing. Through the White brings a touch of horror, in a melodic doom death sort of way, but invokes triumph and elation thereafter. More often than not Ascension, Refuge and Through the White allow for the sense of power with muscular bottom end and overall physical approach to the music. At the same time, Upon the Black Mountain is just piano playing, and it is short, but a what a sensitive tender track it is.

Back to the genre question. Eneferens in times comes off Cascadian, but without feebleness, and with a lot more power and might. The fans of both Wolves in the Throne Room and Agalloch will find a lot to like here. Speaking of which, there are some folk inspired melodies here, acoustics are amazing, and solos are technical, protracted and searing (Ascension, Through the White). At the same time, heavy doom passages hint of many a Scandinavian band and will make the fans of Swallow the Sun comfortable with In the Hours Beneath. Along with Isenordal (my recent discovery), I have only the highest recommendation for Eneferens, if you are into any of the aforementioned bands and genres.

And while listening to In the Hours Beneath you will be very surprised that this work, along with all vocals, from heavy chesty growls to clean chanting, is all the production of one creative person Jori Apedaile. My hat is completely off, and I can only imagine what effort and concentration it took to put In the Hours Beneath together. It was all worth it.