Eden's Curse - Symphony of sin 4.5/5
Reviewed: 12-1-13
Tracklist:
1. Symphony of sin
2. Break the silence
3. Evil & divine
4. Unbreakable
5. Fallen from grace
6. Losing my faith
7. Rock bottom
8. Great unknown
9. Turn the page
10. Sign of the cross
11. Wings to fly
12. Devil in disguise
13. Where is the love?
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I have always been a fan of Eden's Curse, but after the departure of founding member Michael Eden and keyboardist/composer Allesandro Del Vecchio, I believed that the band could not recuperate, and I began losing my faith, feeling the band had hit rock bottom. 'Trinity' was such a stellar release. I appreciated the brief dalliance with Marco Sandron on the "Time to breathe" single, but after a short 6 months, he was gone, as well. All seemed hopeless, but I continued to support their efforts, and kept a steady eye on their progress.
Now they have enlisted Serbian singer Nikola Mijic from the act Alogia as well as ex-Power Quest keyboard extraordinaire Steve Williams, and surprisingly the band has created their best CD to date filled with diversity, remarkable and prodigious songwriting, excellent lyrics, and majestic melodies. Fans of Axel Rudi Pell, Titan Force, Alex Beyrodt's Voodoo Circle, Axxis, Taraxacum, Silent Force, as well as several other power metal acts, and even some more commercial hard rockin' artists like Hardline or Seventh Key will celebrate the 'Symphony of sin'. If you worship Wolfpakk, Mad Max, Vengeance, Victory, Rough Silk, etc., this will appeal to your tastes, as well. The more I play this the more I adore it!
Commencing with the melodic prologuize of the title track, the rock 'n roll children of Eden ensure that every single track maintains its own medieval and divine character, and unbreakable quality. The opener is the longest penned track the band has fashioned to date. Nikola does his best imitation of Mr. Eden, and I would sure enjoy witnessing in a live setting, just to hear how he handles selections from 'Trinity' like "Jerusalem sleeps" or "Angels & demons" from 'Second coming'. Perhaps, he is also influenced by Tobias Sammett, as I relish in "Fallen from grace" I detect a similar atmosphere. On the evocative breather "Break the silence", I even hear a hint of Michael Patton from Faith no More. With "Wings to fly" I am reminded of what Mike Kiske does with Place Vendome or Supared.
They do not dare to be different, but they did want to deliver a protracted and exceptional experience, clocking in at almost 70 minutes. With this cynosure there are some briliant compositions, and some splendid arrangements. There are also accessible tracks which could easily become singles such as "Losing my faith" or "Turn the page". Then there are a few fillers which hold some merit, but could have been reserved for B-sides such as "Devil in disguise", "Great unknown", or "Where is the love". However, that being said, those songs themselves surpass a number of the expectancies of certain newer releases by Avantasia, Iron Mask, and Rhapsody of Fire.
One of the true stand-out selections; honest in its appeal, and sincerity is the song "Rock bottom" which is a befitting homage to Thin Lizzy and Firewind, depicting what the band have endured these past 2 years.
Thorsten Kohne's guitar work matched by Steve's key constructions is very akin to what Stratovarius have accomplished over the years. In fact, on certain tracks like "Evil & divine" Nikola does seem to mirror Timo Kotipelto's style as well. "Unbreakable" sounds like something Jens Johannsson would write. "Sign of the cross" is another enjoyable song which will have you enticed with its catchy chorus:
"In a world gone crazy
Who's the one to save me?
With paradise lost make a sign of the cross
(Make a sign, make a sign)
On the prayers of millions
Of starving children
Do whatever it cost
Make the sign of the cross yeah"
So, if this is one CD you let slip by, please revisit it. I must admit, I did not give my digital promo a fair chance. Thankfully, my contact and friend Dustin from AFM Records sent me a physical copy, and once I heeded the voice inside, it immediately ended up in my CD player. I played it for a week straight, and I still am not bored with it. I am amazed this band is from the U.K., as it has such a Swedish, Finnish, or Italian feel. Either way, as much as I miss Power Quest, I am pleased that the curse has been lifted, and I embrace the second coming.
MICHAEL
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