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By JEFF MAKI
I am a huge fan of the female-fronted metal subgenre. There's nothing like hearing beautiful, angelic vocals sung by smokin' hot women over my lifelong passion in music: metal. Eyes of Eden is the new project of Waldemar Sorychta, a producer and musician largely responsible for bringing this sound to the masses through his production work with Lacuna Coil. Before that, he twiddled the knobs for goth metallers Moonspell and even before that, played guitar in thrash acts Grip Inc. and Despair. Sorychta is an admired veteran in metal and any project of his is something to look forward to.
The debut album from Eyes of Eden, Faith, features all the components of female-fronted metal, including a hot, talented vocalist in 21-year-old Franziska Hutch. Drummer Gas Lipstick of Finnish goth-rockers H.I.M. also lends his talents to the release. Despite the strong cast, it seems at this point that Eyes of Eden is merely recycling the sound Sorychta helped craft. Hutch is no doubt an amazing vocalist and the songs are atmospheric and memorable. Heavy guitar riffs are present and, of course, there is a fair amount of orchestration. Unfortunately, it seems that so many other female-fronted acts have popped up in recent years that Eyes of Eden are remarkably unoriginal.
I wouldn't sway anyone from buying this album. It's worth it alone for the heavy rhythm section and sweeping choruses of “Star” and the driving, emotional, yet heavy “From Heaven Sent.” There's also some beautiful acoustic guitar work in the 10-plus minute album closer, “Not Human Kind.” Bottom line: If you're familiar with the sub-genre, you should know what to expect. However, I would like to recommend a band in this same vein who released an album earlier this year, Echoes of Eternity. The bands share a similar style, but Echoes of Eternity has the stronger songs and just as good, if not a better vocalist in Francine Boucher. It's ironic to say, but many have beaten Sorychta in his own game.
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