Customer Reviews:
 Slick, polished, insanely catchy. A complete success. June 23, 2008
I have become so jaded when it comes to metal. All the bands are starting to sound the same to me. Everyone sticks their middle fingers in the air, they call themselves "true metal" and say things like "no mercy" and "death to false metal". It's just another trend, and it's unbearably boring, just like their music. As a result, it is now very rare for me to get excited when hearing a new metal band. But I have heard Engel's "Absolute Design", and it is brilliant. It is positively overflowing with infectious melodies, the production is wonderfully crystal clear and futuristic, and I cannot stop listening to it. Seriously, I have listened to the whole album three times today and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. If, like me, you don't care about the ridiculous scenes and trends that dominate the stagnant metal world, then you will love this album. The greatest metal album of all time, for me, will always be "The War Of Art" by American Head Charge, but "Absolute Design" is the first thing I've heard in a long, long time which comes close to that masterpiece. Highlights are hard to pick because the album (especially the last half) is rammed full of stormers, but I'd say "propaganda", "I'm the one", "Calling Out" and "Casket Closing" are good places to start.
 Engel March 13, 2008
I had the somewhat misfortune of reviewing this band when they supported Atreyu at the London Astoria a while back. Their cringe worthy Scandinavian-tinged Industrial Metal onslaught got lost on the big stage and their set thus proceeded to bore and pass without much note. To their saving grace, however, Engel positively soar on CD and the true qualities of their music can finally see the light of day.
The In Flames influence is obvious to hear (hell, they feature the ex-In Flames guitarist and are produced by the In Flames vocalist) but this shouldn't detract because Engel easily hold their own and establish their own sound on this full-length. `In Splendour' kicks proceedings off with a bang with its dischordant guitars and off-kilter time patterns which is then met by Mangan Klavborn impressive growling. The quiet-loud dynamics may have been done to death but Engel do it better than most here. Obvious single choice `Casket Closing' is an absolute stormer with its groove-laden guitar hooks and memorable chorus, as is `Next Closed Door', a melodic delight where Klavborn's beautiful singing voice is really given the chance to excel.
Despite the album ending on the fantastically eerie `Seven Ends', `Absolute Design' does let itself down towards the end with some clear album fillers (`Descend', for example, drones on and on without much really happening) that unfortunately stops a really good album becoming a great one. The press blurb that accompanies this CD promises that `Engel are set to take the world by storm'. That may be a slight over-exaggeration but this is promising stuff and you are sure to hear much more of Engel in times to come.
worth keeping an eye out for ! January 4, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Engel have been described as a melodic death metal band,this is some fabrication of the truth,they are as much death metal as the cheeky girls are good,i hope that part there makes sense!
The band in fact are a hybrid of many sounds,a nu metal feel cant be ignored but they jazz the sound up with some good old fashioned takes on sounds of other bands that can be identified which leads me to my next point,this band arent very original but they are good,at times very good,for the most they remain good.
The album opener 'in splendour' isnt the best way to open proceedings,its a polished enough number but a little dirgy in places,it takes the next track 'casket closing' to liven events and what a song,heavy double kick drumming and a strong melodic chorus that is instantly memorable.
'next closed door' has a distinctly melodic rock feel to it but is a good track nonetheless,'hurricane season' is very similar to early 36 crazyfists and again registers as a track of note,the next track 'propaganda' is pretty dull and hopeless and weighs down the album,but thats restored with the next few tracks,'scyth' in particular being a bit of a masterpiece in truth,truly great.
The remaining tracks are all solid enough with the exception of 'calling out'.
When i look back on this i recognise influence from bands such as drykill logic,mudvayne,white zombie,in flames,36 crazyfists and even hoobastank which says it all really.This is a good record from a band with a bright enough future,when they iron out some of the dross that they whipped out here they could become the next big force from sweden,until then this is a 3.5 out of 5 album.
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