Einvera is the kind of band that can make the oddest equations become completely logical and digestible with outstanding musicianship and song writing that makes the ground tremble. "In Your Image," the group's debut, moves into similar territory as Unexpect or other avant-garde daredevils, a bold experiment which often hits the mark or misfires horribly. Einvera fortunately falls in the former category. The group's stunning alloy of generalized metal creates a magnetic pull of wonderful song writing and dazzling showmanship of all climates and atmospheres, yet Einvera manages to compose authentic, complex tunes that are much more than abstract noise, a rare feat in the avant-garde crowd. "In Your Image" dropped out of the sky like the debris of a ravaged UFO, and there's no doubt that the everyday metalhead will gawk at the mysterious piece and hold its power in the highest regard.Simply put, this album is an inflation of stellar craftsmanship from head to tail. There really isn't a specific category that "In Your Image" falls under; it's simply a sophisticated collection of various metal subgenres and outsider sounds thrown in a melting pot. At times the band bursts into blast beats and tremolo picking or tearing riffs which conjure an association to death metal, but these passages often tilt into bizarre rhythms and signatures which bend and shear at the oddest of angles, yet somehow make sense and end up being fairly catchy overall. Also, Einvera factors in several non-metal identities into their juxtaposition, but not just in the record's patterns or melodies. Einvera does not shy away from their multitude of influences; rather, they openly incorporate everything from bluegrass jams to folk instruments like the mandolin, all of which are algorithmically interwoven into this audio abstraction with noteworthy ability.
The key is that Einvera's contributors have mastered the art of constructing songs and know the ins and outs of multiple instruments and genres, and thus, their profound knowledge radiates powerfully. When Einvera settles on a sound, they siphon the principal vitamins within, even through identities on the polar opposite of each other, such as black metal or some crazy (but awesome!) nonsense one would find in a spaghetti western film. How they make the chromatic meal so tasty is beyond me, but who cares, really? The clean and harsh vocals aren't as riveting or explosive as the musical rainbow, but both leave an adequate impression on Einvera's portrait regardless. Everything is an excellent picture of extreme metal given a tint of avant-garde.
Yet somehow, the album has hooks and choruses that end up sticking amazingly to the listener. "In Your Image" is a baffling experience, but simultaneously a wonderful effort gushing life and vivid scopes of musical imagination. Something like this just needs to be heard to be understood; Einvera sounds like nothing I can think of. Sure, there are many avant-garde groups that are equally screwy, but the clarity connecting the album is remarkably genuine, definitely matching or maybe surpassing the many works of Einvera's influences. When it comes to avant-garde in metal, Einvera has hit the jackpot. This is not to be ignored!