In the Spring months of 1997 the wish to bring back the days of SUMMONING’s „Minas Morgul“ masterpiece grew in the brains of Martin Wiese and Florian Dammasch, two 17-year-old guys, crazy for music. Enchanted by the fantastic fantasy-black-metal sounds of the Austrian gods and armed with 12 years of playing the piano and several other instruments, as well as with a striking talent in creating music, Martin decided to compose a kind of hommage to the art of Protector and Silenius. Florian became something like a „manager“, as he felt responsible for the project and was a part of the enterprise since the beginning.
Due to Martin’s skill in realizing imaginary ideas and inventing bewitching tunes, the first song „An Myrrddhin“ was soon finished... both lads looked for suitable lyrical concept for the undertaking. Finally they decided do adapt some poems relating to the legend of King Arthur and Merlin the Magician. The monicker „ENID“, based on the name of the most beautiful virgin during Arthur’s reign, was chosen in May 1997. In a way the beauty of ENID was to be reflected in the music the project was to produce... to reach this aim, the „most beautiful“ fantasy black metal was arranged.
Two other songs, namely „Broséliâwnd“ and the instrumental piece of music called „Enid“ were soon finished, too. Wishing to reveal the inspiration for ENID’s music, Martin covered SUMMONING’s greatest song ever, „The passing of the grey company“ – this song was integrated in to the concept of the songs composed so far as „Nahe Avalon“. Completed with an introduction entitled „Satan & Candida“ these four songs constituted the first release. The „Enid“ demo tape with a playing time of almost 30 minutes was released at the beginning of September 1997. By the way the material was re-recorded in Martin’s own studio „Wiesensound Homerecording“ in April 1998, as the original sounds was not factory anymore.
Within a few months 200 copies were sold to several distribution services (Last Episode Productions, Perverted Taste, Elven Witchcraft, Ketzer Distribution...), the tape was enthusiastically reviewed by some fanzines. Fascinated by the high quality standard of „Enid“, the owner of the German demo label „Fog of the Apocalypse“ and former guitarist of DUNKELGRAFEN, Lord Asgaqlun, offered the release of a 7“ EP on his label. Of course ENID thankfully accepted and recorded two new songs, „Der Tag zur Nacht sich senkt...“ („The day sinks down into the night“) and „Sturmritt“ („Stormride“) in the last days of 1997. Unfortunately it turned out that Lord Asgaqlun wasn’t able to release the EP with a playing time of 17 minutes and 30 seconds within 8 months, and so the DAT tape was sent back to ENID. Luckily the German distribution service and label Ketzer Distribution showed serious interested into the recording, and so most likely „Der Tag zur Nacht sich senkt...“ will be released in April 2001 as a 10“ mini LP, limited to 500 copies.
After greatly 15 months of rehearsing, Martin has developed his very own style of composing, influenced by classical music. Since February 1998 he has worked on the new ENID release, also some philosophic poems (dealing with fear of the dark, blind obedience, insight into the future and life after death – to put it easily) were written by Martin.
In August 1998, nearly one year after the release of „Enid“, eight new songs were recorded, this time much more enchanting, dreamy, atmospheric and brutal, catchy and varied as the old ones. The result is the album named „Nachtgedanken“ (Night thoughts“), which was originally planned to serve as a promotional CD and a second demo tape maybe. In October the recording was released on tape format by the superb Latvian tapa label Elven Witchcraft, with a nice full coloured booklet and on pro-duplicated tapes. So far more than 300 tapes have been spread...
During the same time, the Austrian label CCP Records contacted ENID after receiving a copy the recent recording and agreed on releasing the work. Signing the contract was a great pleasure and honour for ENID... „Nachtgedanken“ saw the light of the world in February 1999. Both press and fans reacted slighty splitted on the release, although the main attitude towards Martin’s art was definitely positive. The debut album featured eight songs, some of them were really uncommon for a metal release, for example the piano track „Art of the blacksmith“, giving honour to some bands of the Geman label Ars Metalli by covering some of their tunes within this track. Another example of the somewhat strange humor of ENID is „Nebelthron“ („Fogthrone“ or „Taaketronen“ if you like), a track that was written and recorded during half an hour and that features a saxophone as well as Florian on bass. All in all „Nachtgedanken“ was a fine release that recruted quite some listeners to be fans of ENID – at least the opinion of all listeners was that ENID holds a lot of potential and could deliver a breathtaking album, if it would be possible to find a real drummer instead of the machine used for „Nachtgedanken“.
In August 1999 the large part of the material for the second ENID album was already completed. Martin intended to let the music become much more varied in tempo changes, melodies and arrangement, all material sounded much more homogenic and human. As a lyrical concept Martin chose to tell the story of an old man looking back on his life within the last few minutes of his life, containing his typical poetic thoughts as well. While Martin worked out the details of the album, Florian got in contact with Moritz Neuner (who plays or had played drums for Abigor, DornenReich, Darkwell, Graveworm, Korova, Angizia, Evenfall, Angry Angels, Dreams of Sanity…) and asked him if he was interested to join ENID as a drummer and percussionist. Even if both Martin and Florian did not expect such a decision, Moritz was very much interested to do the job and became a part of ENID right in October 1999. In the meantime some struggles with CCP Records lead to the abandonement of the recording planned for October, later the same for December and February 2000. Finally, after Florian found Maria Dorn (of the Austrian Gothic-Metal-band STARDUST, former AGONY and now in VANITAS) as a female vocalist that was necessary to let Martin’s choirs sound perfect, Martin, Moritz and Maria entered the CCP Studio in April 2000 to record ENID’s second album called „Abschiedsreigen“. Everything went really well, the result is probably one of the most surprising masterpieces of metallic music that the scene has seen during the last years.
„Abschiedsreigen“ had been published in September 2000 – as the band certainly hoped, most of the reactions (there haven’t been too many, strange...) again were tending to be very positive. A lot of sincere journalists with a sense for art, not only brutality, assured ENID to be one of the most extraordinary, independent musical projects of the last time, with great in-depth working results such as „Abschiedsreigen“. The only thing that has been criticized again was the lack of a decent sound quality, with real guitars and a more homogenous sound...
Of course the band recognized that as well, and after 3 years of unability to find musicians or to play the material himself, Florian finally succeeded in gathering a whole line-up around Martin and ENID, preparing the band for the biggest revolution in its career. The new members (besides Martin on keys and choirs and Florian on rhythm guitars) are Tarak (bass and harsh vocals), Thalos (guitars) and Marlek (drums). Due to coming studies in a far away town, Tarak had to get rid off his bass duties shortly after. In August of the year, Michael joins ENID as a session member on acoustic and second lead guitar, also for live performances. Shortly afterwards Marlek had to leave us due to his not-so-fitting attitude towards discipline these days.
Having realized the big potential slumbering in Martin’s composing talents, ENID decided to risk the next big step in the evolution of the band – leaving the Austrian CCP Records for reasons of being limited and not having the opportunities to develop, and instead getting engaged in a long term contract with a promising and professional young label. After some weeks of negotiation, the uprising Italian independent label code666 decides to join forces with one of the most promising acts in Germany’s symphonic metal scene. In August 2001 ENID and code666 sign a deal for 4 albums, a pact to show what honest dedication and the will to support art, vision and expression may bring to the metal music business.
In September 2001 ENID record their third effort „Seelenspiegel“ in the Mirror Studios/Innsbruck (Austria). Moritz Neuner joined again on session drums. Musically, Martin’s skills concerning composition and intelligent arrangement have brought forth ENID’s independent sound into a new dimension - combining the majesty and bombastic atmospheres of classical, orchestral soundtrack music with the heaviness of pounding metal drums, rhythmic guitars and breathtaking tunes invoked by splendid twin-lead-guitar-arrangements and Martin’s unique choir vocals in a fully independent kind.
In terms of lyrics, „Seelenspiegel“ is not be linked inside with a concept, but touches several philosophical or natural themes in metaphoric and poetical shapes.
The album starts off with the melancholic and dreamy moods of the introducing „Soulglass“, the tune leads into „Land of the lost“, which probably can be called the most energetic and balanced song ENID have ever written up to that date. No words are fitting to describe the power this tune unfolds! Following is „Nexus“, a short, crunchy opus, speeding up and being adorned with dark, powerful breaks. „Patience’s Ring“ bears a descriptive character and lives up by the contrasts of a fast, devastating and a more groovy part combined in a cyclic and round arrangement. The two utmost orchestral and bombastic works on the album are on the one hand „Forbidden Site“ - more easily to re-enact for the listener, with a slightly aggressive touch, though in classical style, with majestic horns, strings and a brilliant a-capella mid-part – on the other hand the last song, an epic called „Helios’ Niedergang“, one of the most stirring, atmospheric tunes ever penned by Martin. While forging ahead in regions seldomly touched by Metal bands before, this song reveals all the splendour „Seelenspiegel“ will mirror to its listeners, in one telling little symphony, nearly reaching the character of a soundtrack album with metal instruments. Track 7 is „... and soon will fall the days...“, sweeping along the listener with catchy medieval-like melodies entwined in a more guitar-orientated mid-tempo hymn. „Seelenfrieden“ is the pendant to „Nebelthron“ on „Nachtgedanken“, a catchy, brutal high-speed track with clean vocals, piano and fully weird solo guitars.
After venturing into new regions with „Seelenspiegel“ in February of 2002, ENID gave their first live performance on the 23rd February of 2002; a nice release party to celebrate the big step the band had taken. The audience called it „successful“ and partly „wonderful“, which ensured the band to be on the right way to establish ENID on stage as well. Still, there’s a lot to improve.
In March 2002, the new drummer Bert Röbekamp and the third guitarist Michael Kipp left ENID; Sebastian Schlüter (former Marlek) returns on drums for live purposes. ENID absolves three more gigs during the year 2002, in the line-up of Martin Wiese (keys and vocals), Sebastian Schlüter (drums), Thalos (lead guitar and vocals) and Alboîn (rhythm guitar and vocals).
Martin starts to work on the follow-up to “Seelenspiegel”.
Following the intense work during the last one and a half year, the new album “Gradwanderer” has become what the title suggests: a straight but risky piece of musical art, written with even way more creative input and vision compared to the last releases. Martin has succeeded in combining the fantasy atmospheres and typical ENID arrangements with new ways, like more guitar orientated compositions, electronic keyboard sounds, weird percussions, experimental vocal styles, open-minded musical influences and just the PASSION to gather everything you can call music into one album. Useless to point out single tracks, there are 9 of them in 63 minutes playing time – you better have a listen yourself.
“Gradwanderer” has been recorded with producer Patrick Damiani in Tidal-Wave-Studios, Karlsruhe, in September and October 2003. Patrick took over all lead guitars, Boltthorn (like Patrick member of the Luxembourgian VINDSVAL) recorded the immense emotional drumtracks on the album. Meanwhile ENID have also found a bass player in Jens “Southie” Basfeld who also participated in the production process.
The extremely successful recording of “Gradwanderer” showed up that ENID is mainly a studio band, which led to another re-structuring of the band: Thalos and Sebastian Schlüter had to leave ENID and will be replaced permanently by Patrick and Boltthorn in the future. Both Thalos and Sebastian have found a new home in Alboîn’s second band EISMALSOTT.
“Gradwanderer”, released on the 22nd of March 2004 on code666 (two years after the last album), is up to prove how outstanding ENID is in these days of plagiarism and general lack of new ideas. What started as a black metallic tribute to SUMMONING 7 years ago has finally left the underground status and demands forever, to venture into new regions of independent music.
Who knows, maybe also the live career of ENID is not yet over…
Once again: Raising the banner of unbound inspiration again... and heading into the future!
Source: http://www.enid-webrealm.de/
