ENBOUND – And She Says Gold

Enbound is a four-piece Melodic Power Metal band from Sweden. Their debut album And She Says Gold is a very smooth and captivating piece of work. Founded in 2006 by drummer Mike Cameron Force, Enbound has assembled four very formidable musicians to produce music that is both enchanting and captivating.

There is no question there is an abundance of talent possessed by each member of this band. All of 20 years old, guitar virtuoso extraordinaire Marvin Flowberg very delicately provides some of the most masterful guitar work around. Additionally, the persuasive vocals of Lee Hunter are definitely a huge force to the signature sound of Enbound. He has a distinctive way of carrying out big sound in an understated manner. The general intent of the album revolves around changing tempo and rhythm to produce a gentle and smooth soundscape,and inspirational lyrical themes about hope and courage are prevalent throughout.

One of the tracks that is very memorable from the first listen is the heartfelt ballad “Frozen To Be.” This is a duet with former American-turned-Swedish Jazz singer Lagaylia Frazier, who’s pristine and passionate vocals make this a very believable love song. Like many of the tracks on And She Says Gold there is a fair amount of drama built into the music, and this song is certainly no exception. There is also another powerful ballad, “The Broken Heart”, which is a soft and orchestrated melody. This song features the most adoring performance from Hunter on the entire album. It definitely proves his outstanding range and amazing vocal talent.

Of course, Enbound can certainly hold their own when it comes to old fashioned hard and heavy Metal. The track “Shifting Gears” is about as “in your face”, angst-filled Metal as you will get from this band. The song features fast, thrashing guitar riffs, an abundance of double kick drum action, as well as some harsh and aggressive vocals from Hunter.

The most notable song on the album is the cover of the late Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Generally this is a standard ‘no-no’ in the industry to cover an 80’s Pop song, however, Enbound did take the liberty to put in their own arrangements here and there, which actually give the song somewhat of a unique flavor, and at least make it a tolerable listen.

Most of And She Says Gold is filled with very melodic, riff-driven songs with powerful and memorable choruses. There was a significant amount of time and passion put into the songwriting, which definitely shows through. It may not be the most powerful album you will listen to, but the talent cannot be denied, and vocalist Lee Hunter sounds as if he could easily sing any genre of music very effortlessly.