If the stylish, slickly produced goth-metal style of musician-producer Waldemar Sorychta is your cup of tea, you’ll probably enjoy Faith, the debut album of the producer’s new project Eyes of Eden.
But if you can’t distinguish Lacuna Coil from other female-fronted dark metal bands like Within Temptation, then Faith will come off as one more entry in a glut of Lacuna Coil rip-offs.
Sorychta can’t be faulted for sticking with what’s been successful for him. The guitarist of Grip, Inc. and the architect behind the popular sound of bands like Lacuna Coil has developed a loyal fanbase with his melodic, richly textured hard rock. However, originality appears to be missing in the equation with Eyes of Eden.
The story behind the band is more interesting than the music. After recording the album with vocalist Sandra Schleret, the vocalist’s persistent health problems forced him to re-record the entire album with then 20-year-old vocalist Franziska Huth. Huth has a lovely voice, more radio-friendly than operatic, but the music’s pop accessibility is what holds Faith back.
Most of the songs featured on Faith follow a similar pattern: mid-tempo, semi-operatic chorus, soaring guitar riffs — ultimately coming off as a paint-by-numbers antiseptic, especially compared to Sorychta’s other work, particularly with Grip.
The production and musicianship is tight and may garner the album some radio airplay, but there’s too much of a glossy pop sheen to the production to save this debut.
– Keidra Chaney
Eyes of Eden: www.eyesofeden.de
Century Media: www.centurymedia.com