Chapters of Eden - I Am Alive (EP)
From darkest Barnstaple comes Chapters of Eden. A band who sound like they know a thing or two about being pissed off, and have no problem in transforming their rage into white-hot blasts of storming metalcore which, at their best, sound capable of levelling a skyscraper with their barrage of drums and sharp, serrated riffs.
They’re undoubtedly at their best when they stick to the heavier end of the spectrum; EP closer Primitive is a snarling beast of a song, with Billy Bailey’s vicious vocals battering the audience into submission alongside a breakdown in the vein of Parkway Drive which is capable of knocking teeth loose; I Am Alive occupies similar territories, with slashing riffs and gang vocals making their mark in superbly crushing style. The song’s utilisation of clean singing and melodic guitar lines adds texture and layers to their already impressive sound, and makes it truly their own- it’s reassuring to hear bands who are willing to experiment somewhat, and do so without
sounding like they’ve merely tacked on elements to their sound, and it’s this seamless incorporation of melody which will really give Chapters of Eden the presence needed to outflank their more generic peers.
It’s not always such smooth listening, however. Opening trackHorizons seems completely torn between the two extremes of heaviness and melody, and their attempt to sit astride them both initially falls flat on its arse. The pace is picked up when the band incorporate a greater sense of urgency into the mix, but it never really matches the quality shown on the remainder of the release- it’s a good thing that first impressions aren’t everything, because Chapters of Eden don’t do themselves justice with their initial effort, and if you were to walk away from the EP after the first 5 minutes you’d be missing out on a couple of excellent tracks which more than make up for the disappointing intro.
In the form of I Am Alive, Chapters of Eden have themselves a record to be proud of; the peaks more than match the troughs, and there’s plenty of evidence on this short player to suggest that next time around they’ll have easily ironed out the minor faults; but until then we’ll have to stick tight with I Am Alive, and await their next move with baited breath- we’ll just be doing so in the presence of a real banger of a record, which is, on the whole, a praiseworthy effort by anyone’s standards.
You can download the EP right HERE (for FREE)
Also, check out their video for Primitive HERE
They’re undoubtedly at their best when they stick to the heavier end of the spectrum; EP closer Primitive is a snarling beast of a song, with Billy Bailey’s vicious vocals battering the audience into submission alongside a breakdown in the vein of Parkway Drive which is capable of knocking teeth loose; I Am Alive occupies similar territories, with slashing riffs and gang vocals making their mark in superbly crushing style. The song’s utilisation of clean singing and melodic guitar lines adds texture and layers to their already impressive sound, and makes it truly their own- it’s reassuring to hear bands who are willing to experiment somewhat, and do so without
sounding like they’ve merely tacked on elements to their sound, and it’s this seamless incorporation of melody which will really give Chapters of Eden the presence needed to outflank their more generic peers.It’s not always such smooth listening, however. Opening trackHorizons seems completely torn between the two extremes of heaviness and melody, and their attempt to sit astride them both initially falls flat on its arse. The pace is picked up when the band incorporate a greater sense of urgency into the mix, but it never really matches the quality shown on the remainder of the release- it’s a good thing that first impressions aren’t everything, because Chapters of Eden don’t do themselves justice with their initial effort, and if you were to walk away from the EP after the first 5 minutes you’d be missing out on a couple of excellent tracks which more than make up for the disappointing intro.
In the form of I Am Alive, Chapters of Eden have themselves a record to be proud of; the peaks more than match the troughs, and there’s plenty of evidence on this short player to suggest that next time around they’ll have easily ironed out the minor faults; but until then we’ll have to stick tight with I Am Alive, and await their next move with baited breath- we’ll just be doing so in the presence of a real banger of a record, which is, on the whole, a praiseworthy effort by anyone’s standards.
You can download the EP right HERE (for FREE)
Also, check out their video for Primitive HERE
