Search - Persuader :: When Eden Burns

"Darkness shadows the light inside"

D. Knouse | vancouver, washington United States | 10/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The CD begins with a choice movie dialogue sample from the film "Malice" where Alec Baldwin, playing an egomaniacal super-surgeon, intones, "You ask me if I have a God-complex? Let me tell you something...I am God." Then the opening track, "Twisted Eyes", surges forth with stampeding force and instantly engages the listener with agressive guitars and Blind Guardian-like layered vocal choruses. However, unlike their previous release, "Evolution Purgatory", most of the hooks on "When Eden Burns" are contained in the choruses with sustained guitar chords underneath, the promising instrumental "Zion" notwithstanding. This might have fans screaming "sell-out" in droves if it were not for the strong songcraft and often superb arrangements. The weakest song in this Power Metal chain comes from the fairly simplistic "Slaves of Labour" which takes a long time to get anywhere near interesting before degrading once again into verse/chorus/verse dynamics. For the most part the songs here are mid-tempo incantations that expand and contract at the will of the guitar riffs and double-bass drumming. While "Evolution Purgatory" seems to accelerate throughout the track list until its explosive finale, "When Eden Burns" takes a few more spins to fully appreciate. I can still hear the occasional In Flames and Iron Maiden influences strewn throughout, but Blind Guardian is once again the primary influence here often conjuring memories of their superb release, "Imaginations from the Other Side." First time buyers might do better to pick up "Evolution Purgatory" for a more instant, cathartic gratification, but "When Eden Burns" shows Persuader's songcraft maturing to the point where flash and substance can indeed co-exist. "The Return" is a fantastic example of this as sing-along choruses are laced with speedy guitar licks and driving double-bass drumming. The title track opens with a barrage of thrash-style riffing before downshifting tempos, some even reaching the speeds of early Black Metal status before a middle-of-the-road chorus sticks to your brain, switching up and down making this song the most engaging track on the album. In fact, during the chorus I actually checked the lyric sheet to sing along the very first time through. I never do that. This album is becoming more and more enthralling with each spin. Whether it's the Spanish guitar-break on the song "Judas Immortal", the awesomely catchy chorus from "Doomsday News", or the myriad production flourishes that elevate the material to even greater heights, I am extremely pleased that I bought "When Eden Burns." Except for the unfortunate addition of "Slaves of Labour", this is an otherwise excellent Power Metal album that should please many fans of the genre. Thank you.



1. Twisted Eyes

2. Slaves of Labour

3. Sending You Back

4. R.S Knights

5. The Return

6. When Eden Burns

7. Judas Immortal

8. Doomsday News

9. Zion

10. Enter Reality"

Excellent Power Metal

ChaosRising | New Jersey, USA | 11/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some of the best Power Metal I've heard in a really long time. I was so pleasantly surprised to hear something in the veins of Iced Earth and Blind Guardian but even slightly more aggressive. COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE."