Metal Monday: Paul D'Amour Returns With A Fearsome Engine

posted in: Reviews & Playlists • Rock

Where does one draw the line for what is or is not considered metal? Can music be metal by association?  The line seems incredibly wide and blurry so these questions may never have official answers. Still, one band that’s always straddled this line rather precariously is Tool, especially since the days after í†nima when Paul D’Amour parted ways with the band. Just recently Paul entered the grey area between prog rock and prog metal with his latest project, Feersum Ennjin, who released their self-titled album on November 22nd via Dissociated Press Records.

While the album doesn’t bare a striking resemblance to Tool directly out of the gate, it’s quite apparent once you hear the second song, “Fishing Grounds”, which begins with the unmistakably Tool-esque bass lick and drum pattern (even the tone is nearly spot-on). Thankfully Tool is a pretty unique and fantastic band, otherwise the influence spilling over onto this new project may appear stale and out dated. Of course, it seems not only natural, but somewhat expected that the two projects would be stylistically linked due to D’Amour’s prominence in both. Interestingly enough, however, “The Fourth” (the one track that features Danny Carey, Paul’s former Tool bandmate) doesn’t sound anything like what Tool has done musically.

Simply leaving the review of Feersum Ennjin at a comparison to Tool would be selling it way short”Tool’s music was never quite so stylistically dynamic as Feersum Ennjin. It explores a pretty wide array of moods, as any good progressive album should, and mixes up the feel and style with moderate regularity. Mood changes are done pretty slowly, style changes done a bit more quickly and dramatically”but neither really border along being erratic.

For a progressive album with such a wide mix of content, Feersum Ennjin is remarkably focused and concise. The average track length is probably about five minutes with a nearly even amount of songs over that mark as there are under the mark. Almost completely devoid of pure displays of technical prowess, the songwriting on Feersum Ennjin is quite tasteful, adding some extremely catchy choruses (such as the chorus of “Solid Gold”) into the mix while varying song structures to keep the album fresh from start to finish.

While Feersum Ennjin might float dangerously between the progressive rock and progressive metal umbrellas, there’s no denying that it’s a very well-executed album with a pretty unique style. It may not make anyone’s top albums of 2011 lists due to being released so late in the year, but it should definitely be in the conversation with bands like 3, Symphony X and Animals As Leaders for best progressive metal album of the year (again, if you call it a metal album). Even if you’re not a Tool fan or particularly fond of D’Amour’s work with Lusk, Feersum Ennjin is definitely worth checking out. The album is streaming on Spotify and is also available on iTunes. You can buy a physical copy from Paul’s webstore if you so choose. If somehow this glowing review hasn’t inspired you to check out the album, then maybe a listen to the second track of the album, “Fishing Grounds” will: