Releasedate: 23.07.2024
Eenling (Dutch for Loner) is a new name in the Dutch black metal scene. And, befitting of the name, Eenling is mainly a one-man project. Abdelhakim Boutachkourt, better known as Eenling, has been the webmaster and promotor for Cradle of Filth in the Netherlands. He has worked with the band for 23 years. Because of that long relationship, Eenling is the first and so far only band to be promoted through the official Cradle of Filth and Dani Filth channels. About the first single of this EP ‘I Am Here’, Dani Filth wrote:
“The song itself is awesome, very old skool catchy thrash/black metal in the vein of Venom/Bulldozer/Bathory/Sodom with some strong melodious guitar work. I highly recommend this if you’re a bit partial to the old command!”,
naming Hakim as a good friend. If that doesn’t spark your interest, I don’t know what will.
The End Of The Beginning
The End of The Beginning has been produced by Devi Hisgen. We know him from The Color Of Rain, Chutuluminati, and Teitan. Hakim is the core member of Eenling. For The End of the beginning, he had the help of Devi, Matthijs Snoek and his wife. Next year, a full album is expected. Eenlings debut EP was released exactly one year after the release of the track ‘I Am Here’. A remastered version has been included on this EP. The End Of The Beginning consists of five tracks, spanning just under 13 minutes long. While that’s quite short for an EP, that isn’t unheard of in the Black Metal scene.
About the tracks
The EP opens with the haunting instrumental intro track Preludium. If these scratchy violins and haunting piano tunes are a prelude to what’s to come, we’re in for a very interesting release indeed. I Am Here is the first actual track on the EP. It’s an old-school song, with a modern sound. Hakim’s vocals are easy to follow, which is probably deliberate as the EP tells a very personal story. The dissonant tunes from Preludium lead us into the intro for I Am Here. After a short intro, the track is mainly fast-paced thrashy riffs. The I Am Here vocals on the chorus are layered to give it more of an impact. Hakim’s vocals have an interesting sound. Unique enough to stand out, gritty and again, old school, and strong enough to convey the message.
Those vocals are even more interesting in the spoken word parts. We first hear those on the next track, Murder is OK. I’m not sure you can actually call it a track with just 30 seconds, but the message is loud and clear. If you want to know why (or when) murder is okay, listen to the lyrics.
Climate Change
Climate Change is the gem of this EP. It’s a chaotic track, with lots of layers to make it even more complex. The orchestrations from the intro return for a few seconds, before we get thrown into the absolute chaos that is the verse of Climate Change. The track balances itself with the clean vocals in the chorus. It’s a really interesting track, which gets even more interesting after a break with samples.
The final track on the EP with the fitting title ‘A Final Word’ is actually a spoken word track, again with a very personal message and beautiful lines such as ‘A spirit forged in fire and steel, a testament to wounds that heal’. If you ever needed a redemption track, this sure is one. After the spoken word intro, the orchestrations from the intro return, accompanied by acoustic guitar to bid us farewell. This track could have easily been the intro to the EP as well, leading us into the story of abuse and trauma.
Final Thoughts
The End of the Beginning is an interesting debut EP, and it makes us want more from Eenling. While the EP has just two actual tracks, the filler tracks around it make for a complete story. My personal favorite is Climate Change, because of the complexity and chaos it brings. The balance between the heavy chaos and clean vocals makes it an interesting track.
You can find Eenling on his website or Facebook.
