Entheos is a band I’ve followed since their inception. After discovering drummer and multi-instrumentalist Navene Koperweis through his work with Animals as Leaders, I devoured the debut EP Primal (2015) and full-length Dark Future (2017). Then 2023’s Time Will Take Us All arrived and blew my doors off, showcasing just how far Koperweis and vocalist Chaney Crabb had come as a duo. As I gushed in the comments of Dolphin’s review, I think he underrated it.1 So, when I was elected to review Empty on the Inside, I felt a sense of trepidation. The pre-release tracks had already foreshadowed a dramatic change, and if the singles primed me for what was to come, seeing the label “alternative metal” staring back at me from the onesheet all but confirmed that I was in for something new and different.
On their fourth LP, Entheos indeed venture into the new and different, with an eye toward broadening their audience. A smoother, more vanilla approach supplants the group’s ghost-in-the-machine overt technicality and feels noticeably less distinctive. Things start out promising enough, as “Hell is a Part of Me” and “Call My Name” reintroduce listeners to Entheos’ trademark blend of technical death and deathcore. Navene Koperweis’ metronomic rhythms and snappy snarework underpin low-tuned drawls, distorted chugs and quick trem-picked bursts, keeping everything rigid and methodical while allowing flashes of technicality to break through. Chaney Crabb remains a supreme talent, shapeshifting on a dime between pig squeals (“Call My Name”), reptilian rasps (“Hell is a Part of Me”), and crestfallen cleans (“Hollow,” “Call My Name”). However, Crabb’s cleans are pushed to the forefront as they pursue mainstream appeal through melodic hooks on tracks like “Hollow” and “Empty on the Inside,” evoking a cross between Courtney LePlante (Spiritbox) and Eva Spence (Rolo Tomassi). Whereas 2024’s The End of Everything EP only hinted at this approach, Empty on the Inside dials it up to eleven.
Unfortunately, in their quest for broader appeal, Entheos have overshot the mark, stripping away much of what has historically made them so compelling in favor of formulaic songwriting that feels frustratingly bland. And while Empty on the Inside’s opening tracks largely hold their own,2 the cracks begin to show with “Golden Crown,” an alternative metal track drowned in genre trappings you’ve heard a million times before. Sporting a Deftones-esque feel, replete with a lurching, heavy rock groove and reverberated chord progressions, Crabb leverages her newfound ethereality to fuel mopey choruses about the burdens of love with a throaty roar that hits as shallow as the lyrics themselves. Few ideas feel particularly noteworthy or essential, and any hint of novelty quickly wears thin as Empty on the Inside veers in a completely different direction. Things continue to disintegrate as the album presses on. “Undone” is a ’90s industrial track that wouldn’t fly as a Nine Inch Nails B-side, while “Tomblight” revisits the same tropey territory as “Golden Crown” despite a solid—albeit brief—guest spot from Michael Lessard (The Contortionist).
The delicate acoustic ballad “Never Let Me Go” offers the most compelling contrast to Entheos’ typical tech-death approach. Crabb’s performance is convincing, even though it feels particularly out of place within the album. “Pale Faith” and “The Earth Will Move” offer a reminder of just how formidable Chaney can be, as she unleashes a barrage of reptilian rasps and ferocious screams alongside the occasional falsetto line. It’s a shame she doesn’t strike this balance more often across Empty on the Inside because she clearly demonstrates her growth as a vocalist. Koperweis, meanwhile, who has been vocal on Instagram about his commitment to natural drum performances without triggers,3 continues to anchor Entheos with his usual precision. His kit sounds terrific, providing a focal point amid the otherwise pedestrian guitar work, save for the occasional solo that injects some needed fireworks.
Empty on the Inside is disappointing not because of its desire for change, but because Entheos have abandoned many of the defining characteristics that originally made them a force to be reckoned with. It was only a matter of time before evolution occurred, but the direction they’ve chosen leaves a lot to be desired. Empty on the Inside resembles a collection of songs rather than a cohesive whole and feels like an ill-advised attempt to ride the Spiritbox wave, crossing too far into territory Entheos never needed to occupy. It’s a divisive shift that will likely bifurcate their fan base, potentially alienating longtime listeners while appealing to a much broader audience.
Rating: Disappointing
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: entheosofficial.bandcamp.com | entheosofficial.com | facebook.com/entheosband
Releases Worldwide: October 23rd, 2026
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