DARK BLOOD was a rather interesting album in the sense that it both disappointed and impressed me depending on temporality. Ultimately, it grew to one of my favourites, in spite of my unusually harsh review upon release. On the other hand, while my impression of ORANGE BLOD was quite solid off the bat, I ended up liking ‘DARK BLOOD’ more overall. Nevertheless, the existence of ‘Still Monster’ in ORANGE BLOOD, which has become one of my all-time favourite ENHYPEN songs, really helps maintain my good impression. Let’s dive into the review!
Mortal
‘Mortal’ is the rare case where despite being an ENHYPEN album intro, it spans a massive 3 minutes and 47 seconds (which is far longer than most K-pop title tracks these days). Nevertheless, when comparing it to other ENHYPEN album intros, I think it is relatively quite uninteresting and bland. Its not bad per se, but some of the most innovative and avant-garde instrumentals and production have been present in the likes of Intro: Walk the Line from BORDER: DAY ONE among their other stellar album intros, which makes the difference of quality in ‘Mortal’ all the more damning. Other than its lyrics, I see no reason why it needed to be as long as it is. Even the good vocal delivery doesn’t really help it much. It gets lost amidst the rest of their excellent discography. I quite literally cannot remember anything about it after playing it.
Hooks – 7
Production – 7
Vocal Delivery – 9
Overall – 7.5
Sweet Venom
I won’t lie. I was disappointed when I first listened to ‘Sweet Venom’. This comes mainly to one thing- the incredibly short song length. Something particularly ironic is that the album intro has a noticeably longer run time than ‘Sweet Venom’! The kind of sound that Sweet Venom bases itself on usually takes a lot longer to really sink into its verses to build up. However, ‘Sweet Venom’ seemed to be crafted for the tiktokfication of music, jumping quickly into the pre-chorus and chorus. The transitions and the song writing seemed intent with the idea of finding creative ways to quickly return to the catchy chorus as soon as possible, simultaneously shortening the song length and highlighting its strongest melodies. This practically limits the song’s full potential from the get-go.
This is a real shame, because what is in the song is quite enjoyable. The bass line is extremely solid, probably some of the best in K-pop recently. The melodies in all sections are very sticky, with the repetition of the hook being used to good effect. Some may argue that it may be too much- and I would agree, but my mind and actions do not match, for I still end up returning to the song quite frequently.
The vocal delivery was done well, though it is a bit pushed due to the high pitch of the falsetto melodies. Could probably be done better by other groups, if I am being honest (though this is also a fault of the production). My apologies to you, ENHYPEN, but it really can.
Overall, I am a fan, but it can never be one of my favourite ENHYPEN songs. I still keep thinking of the ‘what-ifs’. Similar to ‘Bite Me’, though I never got as irritated at Sweet Venom to the point that I did to ‘Bite Me’.
Hooks – 9
Production – 8
Vocal Delivery – 9
Overall – 8.75
Still Monster
‘Still Monster’ is a clear stand-out amidst even among ENHYPEN’s excellent discography. Its overall sound palette and musical choices greatly distinguish it from the majority of K-pop songs in the industry.
The mood and atmosphere of ‘Still Monster’ is rather contemplative and melancholic, orchestrated by both its carefully written melodies and sound palette. At the same time, the song is not too downbeat, and still has a solid chug forward, making for an appealing listening in a variety of moods, unlike let’s say, a typical ballad.
One of the best of parts about ‘Still Monster’ is the chorus. I absolutely champion its vocal delivery and song writing, because the lack of the better phrase, it is absolutely satisfying to listen to. The choice to open the chorus in falsetto, and using Sunoo’s voice in particularly, is genius, for it synergised perfectly with the overall mood of the song. It feels nostalgic, trying to grasp something intangible but expressing melancholy at the failure to do so. That, in my opinion, is what the listening experience feels like.
Also, the melody in the pre-chorus paired together with Jungwon’s distinct vocal timbre is also another iconic choice- one that me, and many other ENGENES highly appreciate. It is memorable in the grand scope of the K-pop sphere, going viral outside of the core ENGENE fandom. For good reason too; its just sounds good. Sometimes, it really is that simple.
The production doesn’t do anything that is particularly innovative, but it just does everything it set out to do very well. I will have to commend it.
All in all, ‘Still Monster’ is easily one of my favourite ENHYPEN songs. It is also the song that makes me distinctly remember what separate ‘ORANGE BLOOD’ from the rest of ENHYPEN’s albums- and I don’t think I’m the minority.
Hooks – 10
Production – 10
Vocal Delivery – 10
Blind
‘Blind’ falls into the category of ENHYPEN’s ‘dramatic’ and ‘cinematic’ songs, akin to the likes of their OST songs from their latest album ‘MEMORABILIA’, sporting sounds that attempt to cathartic and ‘larger-than-life’. Blind is an imperfect but another solid addition to this part of their discography.
The starting verses don’t really stand out, but the pre-chorus quickly gets the song on track, and its direction is quickly established. The chorus is quite cathartic because the choices of notes for the melody really trigger that spot. Sadly, it is a bit high, and for some members, the vocal strain in hitting the opening is quite noticeable.
The production gradually builds up over the song too, though never to the heights that I wished it to, ending rather abruptly. This is probably my greatest criticism of the song overall.
Collectively, Blind is good, but it does seem a bit incomplete. Nevertheless, the general vibe of the song created by its cathartic chorus give it a bit of bonus points.
Hooks – 9
Production – 8
Vocal Delivery – 9
Overall – 8.5
Orange Flower (You Complete Me)
I believe that ‘Orange Flower’ is the second strongest song in the album, by a significant margin too.
For one, it actually feels like a complete song. No abrupt endings, not sections that feel intentionally rushed for the sake of the tiktokfication of music, and probably most importantly, it feels fully realised.
Additionally, the pitch with the song is set is not high to the point of hearing obvious vocal strain, and the tones of their voices can really be heard clearly and enjoyed.
The chorus melody is perfectly pleasant. It might seem a bit dull and uninspired, but it I would say it is merely solid, and it matches the vibe of the song. Are there stronger choruses? Yes, but it doesn’t detract that it is solid. You can never say it is ‘bad’. And most of all, it is very comforting.
Overall, it’s a great palette cleanser and final album song.
Hooks – 9
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 10
Overall – 9.25
(I shall not review the English version and the Bella Poarch remix of Sweet Venom)
Overall Score – 8.8
K-pop Evaluated 
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