Anvil/SOD Magazine Review by Octavio 9 Skulls

Formed by the members of Estuary Of Calamity and vocalist Zdenka Prado (Garden Of Shadows), Estuary makes its debut with To Exist and Endure.  Playing Thrash/Death Metal, Estuary makes a definite impression, with Prado's guttural vocals deeper than those of Angela Gossow and her raspy croon on par with those of Cadaveria. Drummer Jesse Wilson and bassist Steve Eberl (Morticite) form the band's Thrash-laden anchor, with Wilson demolishing the skins and Eberl pounding the crap out of the thumper. Guitarists Ash Thomas and Brad Howard tap into the speed riffs of Thrash and the heavier, more aggressive rhythms of Death, often combining them to create a dense and cacophonous sound. To make the band's sound fuller, these axe slingers also tap into the dual-guitar layers inherent in NWOBHM ("Of Weakening Stone" has some nice hooks inspired by Iron Maiden) and the thicker riffs of Doom Metal (prevalent on "Woven Denial"). Then there's Zdenka Prado, whose spews seem channeled from Lucifer's guts. Fuck, this lady is scary. Lyrically, the band fucks with the listener's head, weaving obscure spells of things best not revealed. Topics include passing on forbidden knowledge ("The Evershielding"), the shattering of ego when confronted by the pains of reality ("Silence and Mind"), and the poisoning of young minds and the battle for each of us to regain control of our own thoughts and feelings ("Soul Scarred Captives"). An "estuary" is defined as a coastal body of water that connects to the ocean; it is here that freshwater from inland mixes with saltwater from the sea. And that's just what Estuary does on To Exist and Endure:  The band rubs salt into fresh wounds. (OR)

Live 4 Metal Review by Scott Asiglou

I get so fired up when I come across quality underground death metal bands, but then if you’ve been reading my stuff I’m sure you already know that. After releasing the 3-song demo, Riding the Tides of Malice, in 2002, the band’s first full-length, To Exist and Endure, has been released on John McEntee’s (Incantation) label, Ibex Moon Records. John is quite serious about only signing bands to his label that he respects and enjoys, so I’m not surprised at the strength of To Exist and Endure. In very general terms, the style played is old school death metal, not too far removed from the vibe you get from an album by Incantation or The Chasm. The difference here is that Estuary packs a good deal of classic metal parts into its semi-melodic death metal. I say semi-melodic because this isn’t Swedish Melodic Death Metal; the tunefulness comes more from the mesmerizing twin guitar lines and harmonies more so than any kind of catchy choruses. You’ll find no wimpy notes being played on this one. The mostly up-tempo songs include plenty of menacing riffs and double bass drum assaults, yet some of the classic metal guitar lines (often sounding like Iron Maiden) work to separate the band from the brutal death pack. Adding even more depth, the mid-range death growls of Zdenka Prado are joined throughout the album by the spine-tingling shrieks of lead/rhythm guitarist Ash Thomas. By the way, Zdenka is a female, always a refreshing thing to hear in the male-dominated death metal world (and yeah, she’s got pipes too!). After the very brief speed blast intro called “To Exist,” comes the all out war of “Soul Scarred Captives” and “Draining the Debtor,” like all the songs, these two pummel with reckless abandon and keep you listening intently to the interesting guitar work. Where the album really begins to shine is tracks like "The Evershielding" and "Flesh and Blood Dilemma," both demonstrating the band’s adept joining of classic metal and death metal. The fleet fingered fret-board work on the solo in "The Evershielding" soars as a galloping Iron Maiden rhythm pulsates underneath. "Flesh and Blood Dilemma" features a thrashy classic metal speed riff, another tasteful solo, and the always-pulverizing rhythm section. Several moments during the album reminded me ever so slightly of Vehemence, if only because of that band’s ability to weave in intricate guitar parts and bits of melody into an otherwise savage affair. The album ends with the outro, "To Endure," this time a funeral march to lower your racing pulse. Yep, it’s another solid death metal platter from America’s heartland.

Metal-Rules Review By Metal George

On the surface, I'd say these guys remind me of the old deathrash bands of the early 90s, like Coroner and Pestilence, only tempered with a slight European touch to the guitar work. The songs tend to stick to a fast pace, prefering to bombard the listener with notes and riffs, rather than bothering to doom out or anything. This isn't a bad thing, although a little variation and emotion might have been nice. When this does appear, such as in "Of Weakening Stone", the results are, as they say in France, "kick ass."

Ms. Prado is a vocal powerhouse for sure. Going against the common grain of ethereal female singers of raspy Angela Gossow wanna-bees, Zdenka prefers to keep it low and gutteral generally, and succeeds with equal amounts of talent and aplomb. For all you nonbelievers out there, my band The Accursed actually good to play with these guys at this years Snakenet Metal Nations Metalfest in North Carolina, and I can tell you she can pull it off live as well, and then some. She's also pretty gosh-darn cute, as well, but I digress...

I'd say that the best aspect of Estuary is their obvious love and dedication for the metal artform. Nothing here on TO EXIST AND ENDURE sounds fake or forced at all. It's just Metal, pure and simple. So, if honest to goodness extremity is what you're craving, check out a new band on the scene delivering the goods: ESTUARY.--mg