EN MINOR – When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out

The hugely skilled ensemble known as En Minor, which hails from New Orleans and includes such renowned musicians as Jimmy Bower, Kevin Bond, and Phil Anselmo in its line-up, has just released its debut offering, and let me start this little review of mine off by stating that this is unarguably one of the most emotionally intense, captivatingly beautiful, and utterly stunning records of the year.
 

Appropriately entitled “When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out”, this soul-searching album feels almost akin to a confessional piece and is impossible to classify in terms of sound and style. Singer-songwriter, Americana, dark folk, early goth rock, and…well, you get the picture. This one is a musically diverse gem and is all the better for it in that everything flows together seamlessly – nothing seems out of place or superfluous. It is warm and organic but also thrillingly on the edge in that it defies and transcends genre conventions and whatnot. En Minor are playing to their strengths rather magnificently and their compositions are allowed to breathe and stretch to their full potential. String-drenched despair, bleakness, and perhaps a vague glimmer of hope somewhere on the horizon? Lyrically, it is magnificent too and we are constantly floating somewhere between tenderness and tumult. Did I mention that there are bags of melodies and heaps of textures here as well? Or that Anselmo has rarely sounded better? And do not even get me started on highlights and standout tracks here because the LP is overflowing with them.  
 

To these ears, En Minor are a truly original band and “When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out” exudes confidence. This record is something that needs to be experienced and listened to as opposed to explained in words and sentences. In short, this is an emotionally charged and immersive listen, and those of you who are familiar with the Body and Blood track named “The Bird” from the Housecore Records compilation album that was released a few years ago need to get your filthy paws on this near-flawless work by En Minor. This something that you desperately need!    
 

https://enminor.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-cold-truth-has-worn-its-miserable-welcome-out