Phil Anselmo has covered a lot of ground over the decades, though he’s primarily remained rooted in metal. With his newest project En Minor this has changed, as the band’s debut full-length When the Cold Truth has Worn its Miserable Welcome Out explores elements of Americana, and gothic country, paying tribute to songwriters from generations ago while still having a fresh sound. It’s territory that Anselmo has only hinted at in the past, but alongside this accomplished crew of musicians En Minor has delivered an engrossing and bleak take on these genres.
What struck me about this album the first time through was how utterly bleak and depressing these songs were while still having a feeling of beauty to them. From the first note you’re sucked into somber and haunting melodies that send you off into the seedy underbelly of society and seeing as the band calls it “kill the party music” that seems wholly appropriate. Each of the twelve songs covers slightly different ground, as numbers like “Love Needs Love” strip things down to acoustic guitar and keyboards, offering up a ballad that sounds like it could be sung around a campfire well into the late hours of the night, while “Melancholia” opens up into sprawling melodies that wash over you with beauty and grandeur. Anselmo contributes guitar and bass work in addition to vocals, but he’s brought a slew of other contributors to flesh out When the Cold Truth has Worn its Miserable Welcome Out and this makes the loudest and fullest moments reach the same amount of power and emotional impact as a Pantera or Down album. Stylistically, the instrumentation falls somewhere between gothic country, Americana, and even some blues, recalling some of the earliest recorded American music as well as more contemporary artists. Sometimes there’s a bit of later-period Johnny Cash while other songs give off a Nick Cave vibe, but En Minor also has enough subtle nuances to stand on their own. Admittedly a few of the more straightforward and shortest pieces don’t reach the same heights as those that are given a bit more run-time, but the haunting beauty of “Melancholia” and “Warm Sharp Bath Sleep” offer some of the most entrancing music I’ve heard so far this year, regardless of genre.
While Phil Anselmo has varied up his vocal work with every band he’s been a part of, they’ve still been on the metal end of the spectrum. Scour and Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals had abrasive screams and growls while even the singing on Down’s material had rougher and jagged edges. But seeing as his voice has only seemed to get lower over the years, it’s perfectly suited for En Minor. Right from the start of “Mausoleums” it’s clear you’re hearing an entirely different side of Anselmo, as his extremely low singing pitch booms across the recording and has a melancholic tone that pulls you in from each verse to the next. This is where the album hooks into classic country influence, as there’s a feeling of sorrow and reflection to the performance that makes these songs really connect with listeners. For as depressing and dark this material can be, it’ll still bring a smile to your face with just how heartfelt everything feels.
Having missed the EP from last year, En Minor caught me by surprise with the musical ground it chooses to cover. Considering that fans of heavy metal often can relate to the somber and darker tones of these other genres, this direction makes sense for Anselmo and showcases an even grittier side that I didn’t know he was capable of. It’s clear a lot of time has been spent fine-tuning these songs to allow them to reach truly stunning levels of beauty and decay, and I could easily see some of them finding their way into the soundtrack of a future Peaky Blinders season. Hopefully this is just the beginning for En Minor, as they’ve touched upon something special. When the Cold Truth has Worn its Miserable Welcome Out is available from Housecore Records, with Season of Mist handling European distribution.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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