Parting Gift - 'Ensom' EP Review

Tracklist:

1. Pale

2. 3:07 (Moonlight)

3. Without Sin

4. Cold

5. Ensom

Starting with “Pale” - Its heavy cold sound send shivers down your spine. A sound which Parting Gift have crafted over only a short time of being together. ‘Pale’ is an enthralling and innovative composition that’s already captivating crowds at Parting Gift’s live shows. Its accompanying music video paints a bleak picture and it’s one which embodies the overall feeling of the EP. Zac says “The basis of the entire EP is the feeling of a cold, dark entity making one unable to feel anything. The darkest of dreams and visions, delusions. It is walking the thin line between what is real and what is in your mind. It is the obsession by what is seemingly out of one’s control. A sort of coping strategy for the pain it causes.”

Next is “3:07 (Moonlight)”. A slower pace track but it breaks down walls around you, but still feels like Parting Gift, with those unique vocals and hard hitting drum beats but very similar to what we’ve heard from “Pale”.

The longest track on Ensom is “Without Sin” - rough riffs throughout, this creates a slightly different sound for the band. Lyrics poured out from the heart is what we needed from the EP and “Without Sin” does just that. Time for the slow build up of “Cold” - it feels like your walking into the world of Parting Gift, maybe this should have been the opening track? Title track “Ensom” tidies things up, it’s well produced and feel more like the next step for the Manchester band. This song feels more full, there is more going on and it’s powerful.

Parting Gift have an exciting future ahead of them. They have created a world of darkness and cold, which is always intriguing. P.S. See them at this years Download Festival.