| Eternal Enemies | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Emmure |
| Cover: | Emmure - Eternal Enemies.jpg |
| Studio: | Metro 37 Studios / The Foundation Recording Studios, Connersville, Indiana |
| Label: | Victory[1] |
| Producer: | Joey Sturgis |
| Prev Title: | Slave to the Game |
| Prev Year: | 2012 |
| Next Title: | Look at Yourself |
| Next Year: | 2017 |
Eternal Enemies is the sixth studio album from Emmure, released on April 15, 2014. It is the final album to feature drummer Mark Castillo after his departure less than 3 months after the album's release.[2] It is also the final album to feature Jesse Ketive, Mark Davis, and Mike Mulholland after their departure on December 22, 2015.
When the track listing for the album was released on February 18, 2014,[3] the name of the first track, "Bring a Gun to School", sparked controversy. This resulted in their former guitarist Ben Lionetti making a statement with respect to his former ensemble and commenting on the track, calling lead vocalist Frankie Palmeri a "disgusting human being". He reportedly considered filing legal action against Emmure, their record label and their management to retrieve the money that is due to him and his brother Joe, a former drummer of the band.[4] [5] The song title has been changed to simply "(Untitled)" in the iTunes store.[6]
At Alternative Press, Phil Freeman rated the album four stars out of five, remarking how the release is "Emmure's latest slab of relentless, skull-battering deathcore" and it "finds them in top form." Elsewhere, the album was heavily panned. At Sputnikmusic, Davey Boy remarked how the album was "so unsubtle and earnest" in its "targeting of rage-filled teenage males, through aggressive, hateful and misogynistic words." Tomas Doyle of Thrash Hits called lead vocalist Frankie Palmeri a "very angry man", and unfavorably compared the album's controversial intentions to the brilliance of controversial artists like Marilyn Manson and Eminem. He went further as to say the album was "so fatally lacking in musical spark."
Nik Young of Metal Hammer praised the first half of the album, stating, "A short, panic-inducing opener full of samples, sirens, a huge roar and immediately offensive lyrics gets Eternal Enemies off to an awesome start. Unsurprisingly, the title of this track, Bring A Gun To School, also caused a ton of debate online. Emmure are nothing if not controversial and, love or hate their blunt, often clichéd lyrics, they certainly command attention." Young was, however, critical of the softer, latter half of the album, going on to say, "... the second half of this album does not live up to the first, and overly melodic 'We Were Just Kids,' makes for a weak closer."
(*) = Title was later changed to "(Untitled)" on the album’s retail release.
The album debuted at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 (No. 55 in the Top Current Albums), and at No. 4 in the Top Hard Rock Albums chart with 6,475 copies sold in its debut week in the U.S.[7]