Released by: Pure Steel Records
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Heavy Metal/Progressive Metal
Links: http://www.horaciocolmenares.com/neweden/index.html
Line Up:
Vocals – Rod Arias (ex-RECON)
Guitar – Horacio Colmenares (STEEL PROPHET, AXEHAMMER))
Bass – Luis Sandoval
Drums – Jimmy Schultz (PSYCHOSIS)
Tracklist:
1. Anthem Of Hate
2. Flames For Hades
3. Brainless
4. The Not Self
5. Unsolved Aggressions
6. Live Not Death
7. Searching the Loss
8. Grawling Errect
9. Infecting the Lie
10. Watcher
11. Three Words
New Eden came on to my radar many years ago when a friend of mine added a couple tracks to a mix tape for me. I was impressed, but unable to find any of their music in my area at the local record stores, and this pre-dates the ease of shopping online. It wasn’t until recently that they came back to me though.
Brainchild of former Steel Prophet guitarist Horacio Colmenares, the band released their first album in 1993. Now on Pure Steel, the band has unleashed their latest opus Solving For X. It’s a brilliant mix of Power, Prog, and Symphonic metal that will melt your face. With the driving double bass of the drums of Jimmy Schultz, the aerial acrobats of the guitar wizardry of Colmenares, the nimble fretwork of bassist Luis Sandoval and the soaring vocals of current vocalist Rod Arias you have an astounding sound that you have come to expect from New Eden.
The songs don’t necessarily break much in the way of new ground, but in this instance it’s a case of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Sometimes when a band sticks to what they do best, it’s exactly what is needed. Though they’re leaning more towards the Power side than in the past, with songs like “The Not Self,” “Unresolved Aggressions,” “Flames of Hades,” and “Searching The Loss” there’s plenty of metal chunk and blazing riffs, crazy syncopated passages, and that driving force in the back, that truly creates a perfect metal album.
That is until the last track “Three Words.” I’m not sure what they were attempting to do here, but they should have left well enough alone. It’s like a slow, dreary lounge act sort of thing, and it’s horrible, and totally detracts from the awesomeness that preceded it. It’s not even humorous if that was their goal. This album went from getting almost a 9 from me to getting 6 out of 10. You simply don’t kill the spirit of an awesome album with crap like that.
Written by Chris
Ratings Chris 6/10
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