WINTER IN EDEN - review added 10th May 2012
Album Review: Echoes Of Betrayal (2012)
For fans of: Symphonic Rock
Winter In Eden was formed in 2009 in the North East of England, and already has two albums released: "At The Edge Of The World" in 2009 and "Awakening" in 2010. Clearly not a band to hang around, "Echoes Of Betrayal" takes the tally up to three.
The band's sound is dominated by symphonic music and Vicky Johnson's sultry vocals. The musicianship is smooth, occasionally exceptional, and flips freely from bombastic key-led metal to soft, almost folksy piano driven chill-out. In between there are flourishes of jazz, prog and lots of straight ahead bassy rock, all tied together with those symphonic, highly atmospheric keys.
Vicky's singing is good, without doubt, though to my ears she's a few notches short of the finest singers in the genre. I think the problem is that she's too vocally pretty and softly spoken for the oft-heaviness of the music. She either needs to find more oomph to tie in fully with this style, or tone the music down to suit. For me she's the female equivalent of Gary Hughes...which you can take however you like.
Of the songs, the best moments are 'The Awakening: Chapter IV - Torment' and the beautiful instrumental 'The Awakening: Chapter V - Descension'. The guitar solo in 'Trapped' is also worthy of mention.
In Summation:
This is a nice sounding album with good performances, but it doesn't get me excited. Worth a look for fans of female fronted symphonic rock though.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. For the Few
02. Possession
03. The Awakening: Chapter III - Regret
04. The Awakening: Chapter IV - Torment
05. The Awakening: Chapter V - Descension
06. Trapped
07. Lies
08. Suffer in Silence
09. Eyes of a Child
10. What We Leave Behind
11. Stone Cold
12. The Secret Room
Band/Performers:
Vicky - Vocals
Steve - Keyboards
Sam - Guitars
Ian - Bass
Steve - Drums
Other Info:
Artist's website(s): Winter In Eden | MySpace | Facebook
