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Wow! If I didn't know any better, I could swear this album is coming straight out of Gothenburg! Enforsaken are a Chicago based melodic death metal band that pretty much worships In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. But trust me, I mean this in a good way, as all the greatest elements of that sound are present here on "The Forever Endeavor."

We have the standard double axe attacks and the melodic barks and screams on the vocals. Take the speed of In Flames and mix it with the harmonies of Dark Tranquillity and we've got a very plausible debut from these Americans. There are obvious influences from other bands such as Arch Enemy and Soilwork as well. Tempo changes exist, but they primarily range from fast, to very fast and will definitely get you handbanging (if not nodding along)! I blame this on a great rhythm team that really outshines much of what is out there. There are also blast-beats and awesome solos, so you can be pretty sure you are in for a treat if you enjoy this type of music.

I highly recommend this album to any who enjoy the Gothenburg sound. However, I didn't bump this into the "A" category rating because this band is not inventing anything here and play very similar songs to what we've heard before. Furthermore, a lot of the songs on here sound quite similar to each other as well and sometimes becoming a little difficult to differentiate from one another. But that should not be a major concern because these are very good songs we are talking about. Finally, I don't see this album pulling in legions of fans and converts on board with the melodic death metal camp. Pick this up if you are comfortable with the Gothenburg style of metal and want to check out the American version of it. Non-fans would be advised to steer clear. This can be seen as a landmark album only in the respect that we are witnessing this style of metal creeping into the American scene as well. I repeat. These guys are American, NOT Swedish! Not to be confused with fellow label mates with a very similar band name (The Forsaken) who hail from Sweden ironically.

Recommended.