Edenfall – To Gaze Longer at the Earth Review

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There are a zillion things to love about this job. To be in contact with the cutting edge bands of Metal music is such a rewarding task. To be able to listen to all this wondrous music that comes to us everyday by our partners is also something to be proud of. To have their trust is really something to be proud of as well. Without trust it’s impossible to have a healthy relation. Be it personal or professional. So, it’s natural that once in a while there is some kind of ‘misunderstanding’ about the press releases bands send us. It’s not that I love to disagree with the words they say. It’s that something I have to. With Edenfall “To Gaze Longer at the Earth” I have a great example of a kindful ‘disagreement.’ The band wrote they are a Folk Metal band. Right. I know I’m no one to disagree with the band’s opnion about their own music, but I think that would be best to say that they are a Symphonic Metal band. There are so many more elements to that than to Folk Metal. I’ll try to prove my point.

Well, first a word about the band. Founded in the winter of 2009 by Rob George and Clare Webster, the duo released their first album, ‘Forever Fallen’ in the autumn of 2011. Following the album’s esteemed reception, the band eventually took to the stage in 2013 with new additions, Sean Brazil and Marcelo Teixiera. Over the years, the band have supported the likes of Leaves Eyes, Mortiis and Antimatter and have performed at prestigious events such as the Whitby Gothic Weekend and Dames of Darkness. With Ghost Cult Magazine having described the band’s live appearance as ‘the constant build up to one hell of a storm’, it is certain that Edenfall had begun to purge the threshold with their mournful message.

Ok, now about the ‘disagreement.’ First, and more important, the vocals. Lead vocal are female. It’s not that Folk Metal doesn’t have female vocals. They really do. And of course, it’s not that all Symphonic Metal bands muist have female vocals. But the thing is Clare Webster’s voice is much more slanted to Symphonic Metal than to folk. Get “The Wild Hunt,” for instance. Vocals are classical music singing driven. Also, there are beautiful choirs in it plus the duo with the male grasp gritty voice. Second, the keyboards. They play much more of a classical music grip than Folk. Take a look at “A Wistful Reverie” to get what I’m saying. Third, I haven’t heard a flute or a violin or any Folk Metal element in the album even though the album tittle “To Gaze Longer at the Earth” sounds a bit folk to me though. Forth, the melodies are totally related to Symphonic Metal. They are so melodic and so oriented to a more symphonic grip.

Right, I totally agree that “To Gaze Longer at the Earth’s” thematic is Folk Metal related as the band say being ‘a conceptual work based on the poetry of love, loss and magic within Anglo-Saxon England.’ With all this we fall into a very interesting discussion. But the musical elements are, from where I’m standing, Symphonic. What tells the band’s genre: the music or the thematic?  Of course, I may be wrong. I don’t exclude this idea, but I’m entittle to an opinion. I guess…

That said I must say that the music here is amazing. Because of these mixed elements Edenfall were able to bring some fresh air to both subgenre be Folk or Symphonic. The band is very skilled and the album shows that. Their music is organic. It doesn’t sound forced to the fan. Things simply flow naturally. “To Gaze Longer at the Earth” is an album to be proud of.

Edenfall “To Gaze Longer at the Earth” was released on July 14th.

Track Listing:

  1. Forest of Veils
  2. Penumbra
  3. Altar of Grief
  4. Of Wand and Moon
  5. Oaken
  6. The Wild Hunt
  7. A Wistful Reverie
  8. Womb of Winter
  9. To Howl at an Orbless Sky

Watch “The Wild Hunt” official music video here:

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