24/10/05

THE ETERNAL / SLEEP OF REASON

One of my fondest memories of the 2004 broadcast of HFM was the live phone interview I did with Mark Kelson from Melbourne band The Eternal, what with time differences and making arrangements via e-mail it could have all gone terribly wrong but it didn’t and Mark was an interesting guy to talk to and this is their 2^nd CD for Firebox.

I am sure the guys wont mind me saying that they are similar to classic era Paradise Lost only better than anything they have done for quite some time, with a touch of My Dying Bride, in fact the track’s "Everlasting" and "A Dream’s End" could easily have fitted onto Draconian Times and it wouldn’t have sounded out of place and I mean this as a compliment. Their Gothic tinged Melodic Metal is full is full of class and all the tracks are truly excellent, in fact I had 2 HFM presenters (Chris Jones & Simon Parry) ask me who that track was by so it must be good and there are plenty more well crafted memorable songs on here and they know how to let rip with a riff or two.

Listen out for: "Everlasting", the haunting beautiful My Dying Bride type song "A Dying Light" the doom laden "To Drown" and the stunning 12 minute epic that is "Knight Of Empathy"

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 59 mins + 11 TRACKS