It is difficult to encapsulate the underground enormity of Japan’s Envy. Since 1992, Envy have released 8 full-length albums and numerous singles and splits all while growing and changing through a multitude of sub-genres while maintaining their hardcore roots. Their influence stretches throughout the hardcore and heavy metal worlds while also touching on post-rock, shoegaze, post-hardcore, screamo, and probably many others. They are widely loved by many musicians and fans alike. It is no easy task to incorporate the prettier moments of post-rock and shoegaze into hardcore, but Envy have always managed to evolve their sound with aplomb and finesse. While I am sure some hardcore purists will only accept the band’s earlier work, I have no interest in that take.
Envy has always delivered the goods. What separates them from other bands that change their sound over time is that their core element, the thing that drives their music no matter how it sounds, is their ability to deliver jaw-dropping moments of emotional resonance. It is admittedly frustrating, to me, that I do not speak Japanese. For the myriad global flavors of music I have enjoyed, usually not understanding the lyrics is minor or insignificant issue. Hell, I barely care about lyrics as it is, as long as the music has my attention whatever growls, bellows, crooning, belting, shrieks, or poetry that goes along with it is often secondary. However, I do love language and poetry, so the lyrics can enhance the musical experience, but as a longtime fan of metal bands whose guttural death growls are often poorly written horror tropes, I am pretty lenient on lyrics. With Envy, though, I want to feel what Tetsuya Fukagawa is feeling.
Ultimately, I suppose that sentiment is a little ethno-centric and has never stopped me from enjoying the band, but Fukagawa is fond of dramatic spoken word passages, and there is no shortage of them on Eunoia. Opener “Piecemeal” begins with one before silvery guitars and the hardcore vocals rip into the following track, “Imagination and Creation” with all of the dramatic flair of My Chemical Romance‘s “Welcome To The Black Parade” and a cleanly sung, gorgeous chorus that flirts with J-pop. Drums march through the track as the guitars take their shoegaze-meets-post-hardcore position to great emotional effect. Envy haven’t delivered shimmering leads like this in a while.
“The Night and the Void” slows the pace with an interplay of acoustic and electric guitars that again erupt into jaw dropping, ethereal crescendos while more spoken word adorns the track. Things get heavier and more distorted as the track proceeds delivering a gazecore climax that rivals anything Deafheaven have ever done, before we fall back into an acoustic lead denouement. These three opening tracks seem to set a tone for Eunoia, but things shift gears.
“Beyond The Raindrops” is instead a foray into dream pop and deeper shoegaze sounds. This shift would be jarring if the track wasn’t so beautiful. The drums maintain their punch, but the guitars are a soft pillow of glimmering noise that sound immediately comfortable. In contrast, “Whiteout” storms into focus with Thursday-esque post-hardcore (who have done a highly recommendable split with Envy). These tracks back-to-back are an example of the sort of contrast that Envy have employed for years, equal parts gentle and intensely emotional, yet entirely Envy. “Lingering Light” takes some risks into new territory showcasing a dark industrial vibe that serves as sort of an interlude into the rock-forward “Lingering Echoes”, though choir synths temper the hard rock riffs.
Eunoia throws a lot of ideas into a tight album. They all stick, for their part, but the journey seems more episodic than cohesive. None of these are particularly new directions for Envy, but their production and delivery are super clean and enchanting, nonetheless. “January’s Dusk” does venture into the electronic influences a little deeper with lovely pitch-shifted vocals over the gossamer guitars. For a band that cut its teeth in small venues and basement shows, Envy have never sounded more festival-ready. Eunoia is Envy ready for the arena, the main stage. One can only imagine these songs accompanied by a light show of pure white lights to accent the band’s shadows in a stark contrast, like the album cover, like Envy‘s trajectory over the last 18 years. This album is more glimmer than raw hardcore, but in that it is a reminder of what Envy does best, giving the listener a home for all of the joy, sadness, and rage that life has to offer.
