Artist: Eden's Curse
Label: AFM Records
Release: 2007
Eden’s Curse, a new band made up of old acquaintances. The idea for launching Eden’s Curse came from American vocalist Michael Eden and Scottish bassist Paul Logue (Cry Havoc). The two also wrote most of the material (lyrics and compositions) on the self-titled studio debut “Eden’s Curse”. They found the missing core members of the lineup in German guitarist Thorsten Koehne, otherwise a member of Demon Drive, and English drummer Pete Newdeck (Steve Grimmett Band) stepped in to help, plus there’s experienced German keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg (Axell Rudi Pell, ex – Rough Silk). In short, an international lineup that you’d expect to spend more time on “feeling each other out” and “understanding” each other in the studio, as well as outside it. But most of this potential little problem, which almost invariably shows up in this kind of lineup, drummed together from all corners at the last minute, was patched up by the guys with their long years of experience in the music business and a clear focus on expressing Eden’s and Logue’s musical wishes. Add the name of the producer, who captured on tape that always-sought-after, uniquely recognizable “pulse” of the crew, Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69), and success practically can’t miss. Dennis Ward is a hugely important piece of the puzzle in this case, the one who sensed what Eden’s Curse actually want and what he could “pull” out of them in the studio, in search of the final shape of the sound, which in the sum total of everyone’s small contributions delivers yet another perfection.
The most recognizable figure on the album is Michael Eden’s vocal. The guy has a clean, explosive voice that brings in an extraordinary amount of melody, practically ideal for the grip of AOR rock. On top of that, the tone of his voice is distinctive, which is the main reason, as a precondition, for his standout role. The second very important piece of the band is guitarist Thorsten Koehne, who tuned in perfectly to Logue’s and Eden’s ideas, proving it with a polished, seamless contribution of many-colored guitar fills and transitions, and especially with “ideally cast” soloing in the middle instrumental sections, which absolutely elevate the overall melancholy and touch of drama in the whole mood, without “fraying” the red thread, or the compactness of the point, of the songs themselves. Interestingly, Doernberg once again plays the role of an extra, which he’s been doing very successfully for years in Axell Rudi Pell’s otherwise well-oiled crew. So the man doesn’t burden his knuckles and palm bones with any wild solos, there are none on the keyboards, Doernberg devotes himself purely to building the atmospheric backdrop curtain that the basic guitar riffs are set into.
And the material? The atmosphere is definitely special, in places the album carries a convincingly obscure touch and an excellent dose of drama. The five-piece works as a unit and, as mentioned, Ward pulled the maximum out of every member. Compact, top-notch execution in the field of melodic hard rock.
High drama is established in an instant in the intro Book Of Life, which spills over into the punchy Judgement Day. That track confirms how well-judged and bold the Logue/Eden songwriting duo is. The tune is highly fluid and adrenaline-sharpened, with Koehne’s riff and riffing really standing out, the guy venomously “quarters” the guitar in a soloing frenzy that’s masterfully woven into the middle instrumental section. The chorus is deeply emphasized and further backed by a tasty cloak of multi-part background vocal harmonies. Eden’s Curse are vividly erupting in interaction with each other. We continue with the mid-tempo, atmospherically tempered Eyes Of The World, which is actually a “lost” Evidence One song, contributed by Evience One member Carsten Schultz. It takes us to an absolute upgrade of the album’s energy, with the attributes of the opening Judgement Day mentioned above. The rocky pulsing of the rhythm line, set off against a contrastingly atmospheric flatness opposite the first front (riff, vocal, keyboards), doesn’t let up in Stronger Than The Faith. Eden reigns with an exceptional range, colorful shifts in his singing approach, and of course by creating contrasting opposites between explosiveness and subtle sophistication. The guy is the album’s number one magnet, besides the excellent guitar work! The Voice Inside is the first thing on which the cliché of a “Gotthard-style” chorus pops to the surface, the first and only (thank God) ballad on the album, a ballad with nothing special about it. Interestingly, though, it’s followed by a kicking hard rock assault with After The Love Is Gone, which again raises the dynamics and atmosphere to a seriously bristling level. One of the album’s peaks, in which the chorus and pre-chorus pairing is literally perfect from a songwriting standpoint. Fly Away, with impressive vocal harmonies in the chorus, cements the album’s drama and carries it to a higher level. The magic captured in the guitar work sparkles especially in the darker What Are you Waiting For, a swollen, tightly wound rocker that bounces on an exceptional pulse of the rhythm line! Eden’s Curse, the title track, is a rarer thing on this album, built on standing out from the “already heard”, but a move that absolutely belongs on an album that doesn’t veer off course at this point in any way. Still highly melodic and fluid. After the “crying” comes an excellent high-octane injection, which confirms where Eden’s Curse are actually strongest. When they crank all the knobs to 10 and shift into top gear! The power of the vocal is utterly exploited here in the sense that, besides (s)explosiveness, it brings maximum melody. That’s the track Don’t Bring Me Down, which makes the blood in your veins boil, enjoy the guitar soloing. The venomously “Leppard-like” Heaven Touch Me keeps on killing with its perfectly arranged folded set, while The Bruce (intro) and the song Fallen King tie Logue’s heritage to the album title. The materialization of the curse that watched over the Scots at their final surrender and recognition of the new rule of the English empire. As the title suggests, it’s a dramatic lament, with a calmer, orchestrally seasoned section placed at the start. Via a transition it flows into yet another melodic rocker, with a new seductive chorus, which could have been an excellent close to the album, after which the taste of Eden’s Curse lingers in your ears for a long time after listening. Finally, at the end of the album comes a cover from the movie Rock Star called We All Die Young, with a pinch of blues lines, and the song stands apart from the rest of the material on the album, so it’s not one you’d miss.
The album “Eden’s Curse” is an excellent debut. Given the outstanding qualities and distinctiveness of the individuals, so well showcased and emphasized under Dennis Ward’s production baton, it’s almost impossible to believe that a band mixed together from all corners clicked with each other in such a short time. But it’s obvious that the quintet found a common language of perception the moment they met, and consequently a constructive magnification of individual musical ideas. Anyway, the biggest thanks for the debut’s excellence go first and foremost to the one-of-a-kind production, which combines liveliness and a clear, contrastingly emphasized sonic depth between the rhythm line and the front line, through which the authoritative vocal power of the fascinating Michael Eden darts. Given the freshness of ideas, the dynamics, and the high-drama atmosphere of the debut, there’s no reason not to expect Eden’s Curse to build on it in the future! Melodic hard rock today simply needs albums like this!
Lineup
Michael Eden – vocals
Thorsten Koehne – guitar
Ferdy Doernberg – keyboards
Paul Logue – bass guitar
Pete Newdeck – drums
Production
Dennis Ward
Track list
1. Book Of Life…
2. Judgement Day
3. Eyes Of The World
4. Stronger Than The Flame
5. The Voice Inside
6. After The Love Is Gone
7. Fly Away
8. What Are You Waiting For
9. Eden’s Curse
10. Don’t Bring Me Down
11. Heaven Touch Me
12. The Bruce (Intro)
13. Fallen King
14. We All Die Young
Album length: 65.54
