ENOX Releases Surprising New Single "The Shape Of Absence"

A band that suddenly popped up on my radar this year is ENOX.  They are turning a lot of heads in the metalcore scene, and quickly gaining momentum.  It seems that everywhere I look I’m seeing posts about ENOX, and people are always mentioning them as a band to watch. They signed with a rising star record label back in January, Theoria Records, and being surrounded by the good people with Theoria as well as the support of their labelmates and a growing fan base are proving to be beneficial for this talented group of musicians.

Band members of ENOX include:  Michael Guevarez (Vocals); Roy Beatty (Bass); Mikey Luna (Guitars); John Capparelli (Guitars); and Mario Conte (Drums).  Michael Guevarez was amazingly kind to answer all of my questions for this story while the band was on a recent tour with A Skylit Drive that took them from the Midwest to upstate New York, and into Canada.

When asked where the band is from, Michael joked that they have “dual citizenship” – the band originated in Jersey City, New Jersey, but moved operations to Athens, Georgia where they all live now.  The story of how the current ENOX lineup came together is really amazing and interesting. Michael shared the whole thing with me.

The band is actually a rebrand off of their previous name Enochian. It started back in 2015, when Michael had started writing with former guitarist Ernesto Grassi and they decided to start a fresh band from the ground up. They went through member changes along the way, but they were of the “patience is a virtue” mindset that they eventually would find themselves in the right situation. 

Roy was the first to join them, and although he technically didn’t start off in the original lineup, he came into the picture within the first year of the band going public in 2016. Michael considers Roy to be a founding member because without him, there would be no reinvigoration of the band. Ernesto and Michael felt they were in a form of “band member purgatory”, but Roy’s energy completely shifted their perspective of the band and gave a new spark to the creative drive.  

Mikey joined a year later in 2017 after they dropped the first single off the Evolution EP, “Sadistic”. He messaged the band chat after noticing that they were missing a guitarist in the video, which of course was an interesting converstation. They made an immediate connection, and just within hours they knew that they would have great chemistry.

Michael and John knew each other before the band was even formed initially.  John was a guitarist whose skills Michael admired a lot, along with his infectiously positive energy that sets a tone of good spirits.  Michael always wanted to work with and write with John.  In 2018 when the band needed a drummer, John inquired about the open slot.  Michael had no idea John had drumming experience and prowess, and it felt like the perfect opportunity and pathway for them to be able to write together.

Mario’s entry into the band came off the heels of Ernesto’s departure. They had considered just moving on as a four-piece with just one guitarist, but the thought occurred, “What about finding a drummer instead of another guitarist and John moving to guitar?”  Mario and Michael had established a relationship from doing a tremendous amount of online gaming together. Michael had known of Mario’s drumming abilities for a long time and was always in awe of them. One night they were playing online and Michael loosely mentioned the idea of looking for a drummer and asked how Mario would feel about possibly joining the band. The rest, as they say, is history.

Michael shared that, despite being the only original member left, these individuals completely reshaped how he viewed himself as a musician, continuously inspiring and elevating him and one another. He says without them, there would absolutely be no ENOX as you hear now. 

How did the band get its name, ENOX? Michael told me the name is literally the shorthand for their former name, Enochian. When it came to the rebrand, they spoke about what they wanted for the name and logo. As cool as Enochian was, the fact of the matter was it was hard for people to pronounce and remember. They naturally said ENOX as a moniker to refer to the band and it caught on with their group of friends, to the point that it became their shorthand nickname. Michael brought up the idea of simply leaning into it and having the moniker be the band name itself, as it fit all the criteria of being shorter, more memorable, and easier to pronounce and spell. Everyone liked the idea so they rolled with it and it stuck!

As mentioned above, ENOX joined the Theoria Records lineup back in January.  Michael shared that Theoria Co-Founder and Label Director Cody Frain is a dear friend who they’ve known for many years and has always supported them for as long as he can remember, so it felt right making a deal with him. A super added bonus was that many of the bands on the Theoria roster are good friends of ENOX and also ultra-talented, so it was a perfect fit.

ENOX has worked with some very important key people creating their music.  Producer Ricky Armellino is one of them.  He’s produced most of their newer songs, and everything they did prior. Michael said Ricky is an “absolute gem and an unreal producer and writer who simply gets our energy.”

Two other people who have worked with the band behind the scenes are Robin Leijon and Kris Crummett.  Michael shared that Robin is one of his favorite people and also one of the best mixing engineers he’s ever met. His approach to the craft is so unique, Michael told me he looks up to his abilities to make tracks feel super powerful and emotional.

Michael said Kris Crummett is a superb mastering engineer with a proven track record who really elevates every mix he touches to a whole new level. Michael couldn’t be more stoked to have the production process go through that pipeline they have in place.

Much of the inspiration for ENOX songs comes from whichever emotions and feelings are evoked when listening to the initial ideas and the music. Michael told me lyrics begin to be conceptualized from the moment his brain connects the melody and rhythm to an emotion. He believes that as musicians and artists, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t explore different energies and vibes. Everyone yearns and lives for things that bring joy and inspiration to keep going every day, especially during these trying times in the world. Michael said that life is too short to not step out of your comfort zone and explore any and all possibilities for what can bring you joy and happiness. 

Listening to ENOX’s music, especially the songs they’ve released this year, I can feel that they definitely come from somewhere deep within. The newest release, “The Shape Of Absence”, seems to be a perfect combination of sadness and anger. The song is superb.  Michael’s emotions are portrayed in his vocals throughout the track. There are so many ebbs and flows to the song, starting out softly, then building to heavier drums and guitar riffs and a faster tempo.  Suddenly, in the middle of the song, the breakdown blasts through and the listener doesn’t even know what has hit them. The song closes on a quieter note that leaves the listener pondering the poignancy of the song.

The music video for “The Shape Of Absence” is absolutely tremendous.  It seems like a simple concept, but in its simplicity it’s very complex. The use of the different-colored lighting, the setting, the way the shots quickly change from one band member to another – it’s just a really interesting video. The red lighting during the breakdown is very striking.

ENOX’s last two videos were done by James Perry of NativGhostVisuals.  He does directing, filming, editing, and so much more. Michael said James interprets a lot of their music into visuals while keeping the band’s identity in mind.  His art is a thing of beauty, including the way he also approaches camerawork.

Another person Michael wanted to give a shout-out to is Christian Lawrence for the shooting of the “Orion” video, as well another video for a song that has not come out yet.

Michael told me when it comes to concepts, the band members collectively throw out their ideas, and James helps them organize their thoughts. For the most recent two videos, for “Sedative” and “The Shape of Absence”, ENOX’s drummer Mario had a hand in the creative direction alongside James. 

Regarding the video for “The Shape of Absence”, Michael says what makes it feel super impactful is that they’re in just complete negative space. Because the auditory experience of the song runs deep with emotion behind it and is densely packed with many melodic elements, they wanted the video to just be focused on the subjects and convey emotion as much as possible with body language and colored lighting for mood. The song cycles through different energies from start to end, so the lights really help accentuate those moments when things start to change.  Michael said he feels that the video does make the song title “The Shape of Absence” feel a little more literal.

The plan for ENOX right now is to keep releasing music and to get it out to the world! They have a few more songs to release before year’s end and they are super excited for people to hear them.

ENOX has an upcoming run of shows in August that was recently announced.  They will be performing at the Summer Scream Fest at The Meadows in Brooklyn, New York Saturday, August 9th along with OVTLIER and Theoria Records labelmates Execution Day, Monument Of A Memory, and Take The Name, among others.  I myself am very excited that I’ll get to see ENOX Friday, August 8th at Racehorse Tavern in Thomasville, PA (near York) in a show put together by 717 Entertainment that includes another Theoria band, A Sense Of Purpose, plus Elsewhere, Roaming Figures, Bedroom Floor, and Desolation. If ENOX is coming to your area, you should definitely try to get out to see them.

You can follow ENOX on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Written by: Annie Schlottman Photo credit: James Perry