Former Xerath musicians resurface in The Enigma Division

The Enigma Division
(Image credit: Press)

Irish prog-metal trio The Enigma Division will release their self-titled debut album this Friday.

The trio are formed of former Xerath members Conor McGouran (guitar) and Ben Wanders (drums, vocals) along with Ronan Burns (bass, keyboards) and their music has been described as "as a fusion of Steve Vai, Dream TheaterAnimals As Leaders, and Liquid Tension Experiment."

"Something we strive for in all our songs is that message of when we’re losing hope, we can remind ourselves that the world we want to live in, the one we can imagine, can be real, because we create our world," says Wanders.

“The Enigma Division started as the brainchild of myself and Ronan Burns. We both have quite a wide range of musical tastes, and the idea was to create a sound that combined all of those influences, and make it our own. 

"It’s become a sound we refer to as “Tech-Noir” as it incorporates our love for atmospheric 80’s synth music, film score, and science fiction, combined with extremely groove laden heavy riffs."

The Enigma Division also features guest appearances from Derek Sherinian (Sons Of Apollo/Planet X/Dream Theater), William Alex Young (Defences) and Sam Bell (Mask Of Judas).

Pre-order The Enigma Division.

The Enigma Division

(Image credit: Press)

The Enigma Division: The Enigma Division
1. 1977
2. The Escapist
3. Echoes In The Deep
4. Afterglow
5. The Age Of Discovery
6. Kaleidoscope
7. Clarity
8. 1977 - Ad Infinitum

Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.