ECHOES OF ETERNITY - review added 28th September 2009
Album Review: As Shadows Burn (2009)
For fans of: Progressive Heavy Metal... and strange contrasts
As Shadows Burn is Echoes of Eternity's 2nd album and follows 2007's The Forgotten Goddess.
The L.A. progressive heavy metal band - vocalist Francine Boucher, guitarists Brandon Patton and Bryan Eagle, bassist Duane Cowan and drummer Kirk Carrison - only formed in 2006 and were catching the ear of rock heavyweights like Roy Z the same year.
The album marks - long time friend of the band - Bryan Eagle's recording debut with Echoes Of Eternity. As Shadows Burn is produced by Logan Mader (Machinehead, Soulfly) and has a tight, solid feel with only a few dalliances with the land of excess. It isn't a raw album - in fact it has plenty of depth - but the mix is undoubtedly measured, not indulgent.
The sound follows a mostly straightforward heavy metal approach. It's tinged with progressive musings but nothing that'll frighten the natives. The real character-point of the music is in the vocals. Francine Boucher has a sweet, melodious, at times potent voice with a tone you could use to calm people in a spa. She is up there with the better female vocalists in the genre right now. The way she contrasts with the double kick drums, boisterous bass and brutally riff-licious guitars is a revelation.
Unfortunately, the songs aren't in the same league as the performances. Monster hooks are few and far between and none of the songs are truly outstanding. Technically, this release is sitting on a very high pedestal, however technical brilliance isn't everything. Most of the tracks have a massive drum set-piece, a big guitar sound or fabulous vocalizing, but the result rarely gets better than merely 'good'.
'Descent of a blackened Soul' is a classic example. Some of the ideas in the song are phenomenal, but the overall vibe is unresolved. To be honest, it goes on a bit. 'Letalis Deus' is on the same playing field too. The musicianship will blow you the f*ck away. When Francine starts singing you wonder why all music can't sound this good...but it heads nowhere and ends up being beautiful, powerful...and possibly a bit dull.
As Shadows Burn is an impressive release with loads of likeable parts but a distinctly average whole. It's good, but it should have been mind blowing. Echoes of Eternity is yet another band with all the talent in the world but, perhaps, not enough ability to focus it into an amazing finished product.
Check out... The sound and musicianship. Breathtaking.
Track List:
1. Ten of swords
2. Veiled horizon
3. Memories of blood and gold
4. The scarlet embrace
5. Descent of a blackened Soul
6. Twilight fires
7. Buried beneath a thousand dreams
8. Letalis Deus
9. Funeral in the sky
Label: Massacre Records
Artist's website(s): MySpace
