photo by David B. Combs; photo courtesy of Spaur Metal Promotions

Single Review of Entundra: “Falling Down” (Sliptrick Records)

Entundra is a band out of Fargo, North Dakota whose music straddles that fine line between hard rock and metal. Formed on May 8th, 2021, by Michael Dee (drums) and Topher Bratland (vocals), Entundra cites influences that include Seether, Thrice, Shinedown, Rise Against, and Bring Me the Horizon. Dee and Bratland have been joined by a few different guitarists and bass players. Sam Babler (lead guitar) and Ryan Aarhus (bass) are listed on the press material for “Falling Down.” However, according to this September 28th Facebook post, Trai (bass) and Casey (guitar) are Entundra’s newest string section.

iamge courtesy of Spaur Metal Promotions

Entundra’s “Falling Down” is a tuneful, hard-driving hard rock song that dances around the edges of both metal and alternative hard rock. The song kicks off with drums and guitars at autobahn speed and doesn’t slow down – with the exception of tempo-changing choruses that soar a bit more – until the very end. The vocals maintain an almost pop-punk rhythm in the verses, though with a hint of an edgy alt-rock vocal timbre and a hard rock/metal attitude. The vox stand out in that they’re almost tuneful; I get the sense Bratland could sing just about any style he wants, but I’m glad he chose this one. Shifting the attention from the vocals back to the music, the recurring, recycling, uptempo rhythmic guitar line and drum beat are the hook. They push the song forward while forcing their way into the listener’s brain as an enjoyably insidious earworm. In the end, I have a simple recommendation: Check out this song! “Falling Down” has ample speed for hard rock/metal fans, vocals that’ll reach listeners across a broader musical spectrum, and a sneaky-memorable hook that’ll leave you wanting more.

More Recently

Since the release of “Falling Down” on July 15th, Entundra has released two more singles – “Think” on September 8th and “Voices” just a couple weeks ago, on October 30th. “Think” is a heavy power ballad with a slow tempo and a lot of open space. “Voices,” meanwhile, has an edge that’s a bit heavier even than “Falling Down” – and includes a few screaming heavy metal vocals in spots – but it still ticks many of the same boxes as “Falling Down.” This trio of songs suggests the likelihood of a cohesive yet varied collection whenever Entundra drops its full-length album.

photo by David B. Combs; photo courtesy of Spaur Metal Promotions

Looking Ahead

A 2023 album to be entitled My Only Sin was planned, at least at the time of the “Falling Down” single release, but it does not appear to have been released yet. The band has released ten singles in the last couple of years, so there’s plenty of Entundra music available on outlets like Spotify. In fact, if My Only Sin is released one of these days, I wonder if those are going to be the ten songs – if the album has already been released one song at a time – or if there’s more to come.

The best way to stay up-to-date with Entundra is via the band’s Facebook page. For those who would like to catch Entundra live, the “Events” tab of band’s Facebook page lists a Saturday, November 18th performance at the Midway Saloon in St. Paul, MN. Of course, follow the band on Facebook for more shows as they’re announced.