Artista: Edensong
Álbum: The Fruit Fallen
Año: 2008
Género: Progresivo ecléctico / Heavy prog
Duración: 75:05
Nacionalidad: EEUU
Lista de Temas:
1) Water Run
2) The Baptism
3) Reflection
4) The Prayer
5) Nocturne
6) The Sixth Day
7) One Breath To Breathe
8) The Reunion
1) Water Run
2) The Baptism
3) Reflection
4) The Prayer
5) Nocturne
6) The Sixth Day
7) One Breath To Breathe
8) The Reunion
Alineación:
- Matt Cozin / drums
- T.D. Towers / bass
- Michael Drucker / violin
- Eve Harrison / flute (1, 2, 4, 6)
- Rachel Kiel / flute (3, 5, 7, 8)
- Arthur Sugden / piano, organ
Additional contributions (courtesy of themselves):
Ben Wigler / electric guitar (2, 4, 5, 6, 8)
Kerry Prep / piano, organ (1, 4)
Sam Baltimore / cello (2, 4)
Joe Swain / violin (1, 4)
Anthony Waldman / drums (5), percussion (2)
Ben Doleac / backing vocals (3, 6)
Azalea Birch / tablas (3)
Hannah Goodwin-Brown / cello (7)
Joaquin Cotler / african percussion (2)
Neely Bruce / church organ (2)
Steve Devita / percussion (2)
Adam Bernier / synthesizer programming
Vamos con un disco peculiar. Y digo "peculiar" porque nadie se termina de poner de acuerdo: ¿es horrible o genial?. Si revisan los comentarios se van a dar cuenta que los comentarios son disímiles y contradictorios. Al fin de cuentas, loos comentarios son como el culo: cada uno tiene el suyo... pero los culos son tan diferentes entre sí??? y... sirven para lo mismo, pero los hay gosrdos y flacos, planos, redondeados, carnosos, con y sin celulitis, etc. etc. etc. Y sí, los comentarios sobre este disco van por la misma senda. Pucha digo, el comentario sobre este disco me está saliendo para el culo.
Pero empecemos por el principio, mejor, luego vamos a tratar de hacer un comentario que deje más o menos contentos a todos y que sea representativo de este disco, si es que puedo hacerlo.
Empezamos con la historia de la banda:
Edensong es una banda estadounidense fundada en el otoño de 2002 por James Byron Schoen en guitarra y voces junto con Matt Cozin en batería en la Universidad Wesleyan en Connecticut. Después de reunirse, dieron con los servicios del guitarrista Ben Wigler con quien James Schoen había tocado en una banda llamada Echoes of Eden. Luego se les fueron uniendo otros musicos como Ian Carbone en bajo, Aurora Maoz en flauta y Asa Sourdiffe en violín y teclados. Estos dos últimos serian luego reemplazados por Rachel Kiel (flauta) y Mike Drucker (violín). Después de una gira que sirvió sobre todo para darse a conocer, la banda comenzó a trabajar en el material que eventualmente se convertiría en el álbum debut "The Fallen Fruit". Durante los trabajos de dicho disco, Arthur Sugen se unió al piano y órgano, e Ian Carbone fue reemplazado por TD Torres en el bajo.Excalibur
En 2005 y 2006 la banda tocó una extensa lista de shows en vivo para una creciente cantidad de seguidores, pero en la primavera de 2006 las tensiones de la gira llevó a una banda completa ruptura.
James Byron Schoen se encontró solo, y se centró más en lograr lanzar al mercado el álbum. Para ello todo el material grabado cuando la banda aún estaba unida fue mezclado y remezclado. En octubre de 2007 "The Fallen Fruit" fue masterizado por Bob Katz y ya en el 2008 el proyecto salió a la luz. Después de la publicación, James comenzó a trabajar en conseguir una nueva banda de gira con el material y promocionar el álbum. Recientemente acaba de lanzar al mercado un nuevo material denominado "Echoes of Edensong" del cual aún no tenemos muchas referencias, lo que si podemos afirmar que el primer trabajo es interesante y en cuanto a la música de Edensong es una mezcla de progresivo pesado y sinfónico con algo de folk progresivo.
Edensong ha desarrollado un estilo que trae a la mente muchos adjetivos: esta mezcla de materiales extraños, orquestales, acústicos, accesibles, góticos y duros, es como si hubieran realizado el disco combinando ritmos fascinantes. De hecho, es eso justamente lo que hicieron.
Comencemos diciendo que esta banda tiene claras influencias de clásicos progresivos de los 70's, pero mezclando con sonidos más modernos e incluso algo de metal progresivo para ofrecer un álbum lleno de atmósferas cambiantes, bastantes elementos de rock sinfónico, muchas flautas y violines que entreveran sus líneas melódicas con órganos y teclados en varias piezas acústicas seguidas por momentos más intensos y pesados, una sección rítmica muy potente y un estilo bien afilado en las guitarras, lo que lo hace especialmente ecléctico y atemporal, hay una variada instrumentación, texturas vocales e instrumentales equilibradas e intensas y suficiencia técnica.
Y debo decir que cuando el álbum comienza me parece increíblemente bueno, las primeras canciones son geniales y de por sí el disco vale la pena aunque sea solamente para quedarse con los primeros tracks, pero a medida que va pasando el disco la calidad va bajando y nos encontramos con partes repetitivas y que perfectamente podrían haber quedado fuera de este largo disco, con lo que hubiera aumentado drásticamente la calidad del disco.
En general, el disco tiene una alta concentración de diferentes elementos progresivos, desde su comienzo hasta el final, que lo hacen que sea difícil de resistir para cualquier amante de este género. Las composiciones armadas en capas de instrumentos eléctricos y acústicos, esa combinación entre sonidos duros y suaves, pero siempre surcados por el elemento melódico como protagonista.
Así, a lo largo del disco nos podremos encontrar con elementos que nos recuerden a bandas tan disímiles como las siguientes: Pain of Salvation, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Genesis, Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd, Tool o Coheed and Cambria, todo eso y con unas altas dosis de progresivo escandinavo junto con algo de pop y algo de pastoral para terminar este interesante trabajo.
Para ir cerrrando mi opinión del disco, este es un álbum fresco y complejo, con un buen balance entre sus distintos elementos, con una especie de "artesanía" compositiva: un complejo entramado de canciones entregadas con pasión.
"The Fallen Fruit" toma las joyas del pasado y las recrea con un sonido nuevo y rico. A algunos les puede gustar y a otros no, pero no puedo dejar de celebrar la valentía de animarse a hacer algo así, ya que ese "riesgo" es una de las cosas que más me gustan de las bandas progresivas, ya casi coo único estilo de música que asume tal compromiso con la aventura como forma esencial en su espíritu. Y esta gente a llevado adelante un proyecto muy riesgoso, al filo de la navaja, más allá de que a uno le guste o no el resultado, y ya por eso se merecen un buen aplauso.
¿Vamos con algunos comentarios?... porfiii, que viene el fin de semana y yo ya no tengo más ganas de escribir....
The Sound of EdensongNJ Proghouse
What words define the Edensong sound? Even a term as unwieldy as “epic orchestral progressive acoustic metal-infused rock” does little to categorize Edensong’s music.
Edensong draws deeply from classic symphonic progressive acts, with complex song structures that resemble those of early Genesis or Yes, but Edensong does not simply rehash the music from this Golden Age of prog rock. Edensong experiments with wide-ranging musical styles, adding orchestral instruments like flute, violin and cello into the mix of a versatile hard rock band. With what other act would you hear heavy metal guitar riffs, a classical guitar, flute and cello chamber trio, a full church organ, and North Indian tabla playing all in the span of a single album?
Edensong’s music can be as serenely melodic as the music of Simon and Garfunkel and Cat Stevens, or as aggressive as that of Metallica or Opeth. Not even Jethro Tull (another important influence for the band) is quite as eclectic. Using sophisticated and unpredictable compositions, not unlike the large scale works of Dream Theater or Rush, Edensong’s music tells a story, at times attaining the epic feel of the scores of Hans Zimmer or Nobuo Uematsu, while at others achieving a “folkier” simplicity, a singer/songwriter sound that might be more reminiscent of Billy Joel or The Beatles.
Edensong gains inspiration from many styles and eras of music, whether it be from the millennium-long history of Western classical music or the past half-century of rock. While influenced by so many from Gregorian chant to grunge, Edensong rejects any superficial trend in pop music and instead forges its own path through the droves of homogenous sound-alike acts. Edensong, along with a handful of other new bands, such as The Mars Volta, Coheed and Cambria, Three, and Dredg among others, attempts to creatively revitalize rock music in a movement away from the corporately-constructed “mainstream” and toward artist-driven freedom and true originality.
The History of Edensong
The modern day Edensong was formed in 2008, in the months following the release of the band’s debut album “The Fruit Fallen,” but the band name and music date back to an earlier time…
The year was 2002 and it was a crisp autumn afternoon in the quaint New England hamlet of Middletown, Connecticut when James, a 19 year old college music major sat down for lunch with some friends at his favorite Mexican restaurant. James spent his nights entertaining otherwise occupied audiences as they sipped double-shot-half-caf-vegan lattes and studied for their upcoming “Gender Archaeology” final with his own blend of progressive rock infused acoustic folk, and an occasional Cat Stevens or Jethro Tull cover, but he was growing evermore nostalgic for the days when he could don his leather pants and rock out with his high school prog-metal band Echoes of Eden. He expressed this sentiment to his friend (we’ll refer to him here as “Tony“, because that’s actually his name), who sat across from him at lunch. The conversation went a little like this:
“I want to put on a crazy rock show at Welseyan!”
To which Tony replied “Yes, that sounds great. We could cover the venue in Astroturf and rent an above-ground pool to fill with dry ice, so the show would look mysterious and the band could go swimming afterwards. We could pose the audience members to look like trees and give them lines to recite”
James seconded his ideas and added “Yes, and we could add a choir and African drumming ensemble, an original accompanying film, and hold it all together with an obscure, barely comprehensible plotline depicted by a cast of actors.”
Luckily, Wesleyan University was just the right strange and eclectic place to mount such a show and “Beyond Eden” was performed in spring 2003, with a grant from the school. The show, half avant-garde brilliance and half complete disaster, did yield at least one important and lasting result: The formation of the show’s house band, which later became known as Edensong.
With music inspired by the breadth of the school’s music curriculum, embracing western classical, experimental, and world music traditions, mixed with James’s own somewhat guilty passion of progressive rock, Edensong continued to perform in Connecticut, and later in New York, when the band relocated after graduation. The tumultuous early years saw many members come and go, some of whom went on to pursue careers in dentistry, veterinary medicine, film-making, and one who left to form the popular indie rock band MGMT.
Edensong’s “The Fruit Fallen”, a collection of James’s songs dating back to 2000 and recorded by various incarnations of the band between 2004-2007, was released in 2008 to critical acclaim in the progressive rock, metal and AOR world. The album’s success led to an invitation to play Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Prog festival. James accepted without hesitation, but unfortunately also without an actual band, as Edensong had ceased playing live in 2006 after a dispute over a planned US tour. So, with heightened dedication and a little bit of luck, James began to assemble the new Edensong.
Edensong 2.0 began with the addition of keyboardist Stefan Paolini, James’s acquaintance from a youth choir many years before (the two bonded over a Dream Theater t-shirt and vowed to work together on some distant day). Stefan dragged his good friend Barry Seroff, Connecticut based composer and flutist with an aversion to all things “prog”, kicking and screaming into the fold (within a matter of months, Barry decided that Edensong wasn’t so bad after all, even declaring once after a show of the progressive rock audience “These are my people!”). After an initial struggle to fill the bassist role, the band was reunited with the mysterious TD Towers, who played bass on “The Fruit Fallen”; after years of no communication with the band, he showed up at James’s doorstep one evening at midnight equipped with his bass and a basket of raspberries proclaiming simply, “I have what you need.” Another reunion, this time on the stage of the Three Rivers Festival, reunited James with his former high school bandmates from Echoes of Eden, including drummer Tony Waldman, fresh from a four year stay in Japan, who has since become a full time member of Edensong, thus rounding out the full lineup.
The current Edensong lineup brings together professional musicians of many backgrounds, each with a unique set of influences, creative sense, and innate strengths, but united in their collaborative goal to bring Edensong’s dark blend of thoughtful orchestral rock music into the world.
Edensong is currently in the studio finalizing work on a new album. This is the band’s first time performing on the NJ Proghouse stage and the band’s first public performance since late 2010. The band is excited to debut some brand new material and play some old favorites as well.
Edensong was founded by vocalist-guitarist James Byron Schoen at the Wesleyan University of Connecticut in the fall of 2002. Performing “Beyond Eden: A Surrealistic Pseudo Rock Opera”, in which traditional rock was mixed with elements of classical and world music, brought him to the idea of forming the band Edensong.Rock report
Several years and line-up changes further, Schoen now finally presents Edensong’s debut album, “The Fruit Fallen”, on which he has been working on and off since the summer of 2004. The lyrics, the music and the arrangements as well as the recording, the mixing, the vocals and the guitar parts are from Mr Schoen himself, but he was assisted by a core of six players plus Bob Katz, who mastered the album. With a total playing time of 71:17, “The Fruit Fallen” contains only 8 songs, but all of them are well thought-out, well-performed and well-produced. The enclosed biography describes the music of Edensong as ‘epic orchestral progressive acoustic metal-infused rock’, but as far as I’m concerned we can call it an updated variant of the classic progressive rock bands we all came to know from that golden decade … the 70s. So, if you’re in for a dose of classic progrock with influences from other musical genres, then you can’t do wrong by checking out this promising US band.
Many lovers of Metal music tend to venture into the realm of Prog Rock from time to time. Take into consideration the popularity of bands like Spock’s Beard, Enchant and The Flower Kings among certain Metal fans (usually those into the more Progressive side of Metal) and this is easy to see. Lucky for these fans, they now have a new band to satisfy their Prog Rock cravings…New York’s Edensong. Spearheaded by one James Byron Schoen, Edensong present a blend of Prog Rock styles from across the decades. One can hear influence from bands like Jethro Tull, Kansas, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis in the instrumentation, and even hints of Porcupine Tree in some of the more moody, ambient passages.Shawn Pelata
Lots of layers permeate and color the music including flutes, violins and organ sounds as well as other keyboard interplay among the more standard guitar/bass/drums and small splashes of Hard Rock. No one instrument tends to outshine the other. Every piece is utilized to create a sweeping sonic tapestry. The music is not overtly technical; that is to say there are not a lot of crazy time signatures or over the top shredding. Rather each song is more of a journey of ebbs and flows, hills and valleys, with the storyline (of course there’s a concept) tying them all together. The vocals are clean and melodic and, like the other instruments, are utilized as but one color of the overall palette. Nice harmonies and counter melodies add a nice atmosphere amidst the changing parts and moods. Influences aside, the band is not typical amongst today’s Prog Rock scene…familiar as some of this may be it definitely has its own modern signature.
If you’re not already a fan of Prog Rock, you probably haven’t made it this far into the review. But, if you have, I urge you to go to their website and sample their music. If you are a fan of Prog Rock, you can probably “hear” some of what I’m describing in your head already. In which case, you absolutely need to seek this band out. Edensong have just released probably one of the best Prog Rock albums of the year, and certainly the best I’ve heard in a long time.
Edensong is a brand new prog band who combine Medieval Folk, Metal, and Symphonic Prog. They mix their influences of classic bands like Jethro Tull and Rush with modern bands like Echolyn and Opeth on their debut, The Fruit Fallen, into something very original (at least to my ears). It’s quite angular at times but that is soon counterbalanced by quiet pastoral passages. I will admit it took me a long time to fully appreciate the music. I’m glad I continued digesting The Fruit Fallen because Edensong has become one of my favorite new bands.Ron Fuchs
This is one of those rare occasions where every track is a favorite. From the opening track “Water Run” to the closing epic 21+ minute “The Reunion” the band send the listener of a aural journey. I think with this debut, the band has shown a glimpse of what they have to offer. I think true music connoisseurs will enjoy listening to The Fruit Fallen over and over. The Fruit Fallen is recommended listening for fans of the aforementioned bands and those that require their music to be a true art form!
Concept albums are back in fashion it seems; every other CD I have listened to for some time now has been based around a conceptual story or theme of some sort. And this production is yet another one of those. Musically it is rather different from most other such ventures I've encountered though, where the eclectic nature of this excursion, as well as the stylistic expressions utilized, are rather unique in my experience. The 8 compositions are not highly advanced in terms of structure and for some it may be a negative feature that they develop in pretty much the same manner: acoustic guitars, soon accompanied by flute and often violin, open the songs in a mellow, rather pastoral fashion. Vocals are added in pretty swiftly as well, and these segments – sometimes with a strong folk music tinge and at other times with a slight classical flavor also – start evolving. The intensity of the instruments rises, sometimes a cello will be added in for more of a chamber rock feeling and in other tracks an organ will make an appearance to add some art rock flavors to the proceedings. At some point drawn-out heavy riffs or harder hitting riff patterns will be added to select sequences, strengthening the art rock impression already present or adding it if not. At times these passages even take on progressive metal dimensions due to the intensity of the guitar work. For the remainder of the songs there is a frequent movement between pastoral passages, art rock inspired sequences and either metal-tinged or chamber rock influenced segments. The sonic textures created are pretty advanced at times too: not overly complex though. Quirky rhythms, dissonances and disharmonies are not effects extensively utilized, but the soundscapes will more often than not contain multiple layers of instrumentation, giving the listener a wide variety of sounds to keep track of and creating some rather intriguing atmospheres besides. Whether it is flute and violin in harmonic explorations or flute soloing neatly contrasting with a riff pattern in the forefront of the mix, the moods created are strong and with a great deal of nerve, captivating and enthralling in sheer beauty, or a mix of both. There may be just too much to keep track of for some though and as the vocal passages are numerous and dominating throughout, the very distinct voice of Schoen might alienate some listeners. He is a good vocalist without doubt, but has a voice and vocal delivery pretty unique – for better or worse. Personally I like his style, but can easily understand others who disagree with my perception in this matter. And people solely looking for albums containing long, epic excursions better stay away from this effort. Although the track index lists the final track as an epic in the 20 minute range, it is actually a 10-minute excursion followed by a few minutes of silence and an 8 minute long hidden tune. The latter is more of a heavy art rock excursion and not very interesting as such as far as I'm concerned. It does showcase a heavier side of this band's output, and while I think this act is better off working with folk and chamber rock influenced material those who think otherwise should find this creation to be a great hidden asset on this excursion.Olav M Bjornsen
Advanced but not overly complex is a good description of the material contained on this disc, with diversity as a key word. If concept albums with a musical style residing somewhere in between heavy art rock, chamber rock and folk music sound intriguing, there's a good chance that you'll appreciate this production. To my ears one of the better albums issued in 2008 and an effort that will get many spins in my CD-player.
Oho! “The Fruit Fallen”, the first official release by the US combo EDENSONG, involves about twenty musicians, quite a few of whom play chamber and related instruments: violins, cellos, flutes and acoustic guitars, of which the bowed ones are present on half of the disc’s eight tracks, while the others on all of those without exception. So it didn’t come as a surprise that the album’s sound is warm and very lush, and by the way it also has a distinct analog feeling, since the organ and piano are the only keyboards deployed. Well, it’s time to describe the music, and I’ll begin with its vocal part. Whether he plays an electric or acoustic guitar (which he does approximately equally), James Byron Schoen shines with both originality and inventiveness almost throughout the recording, whilst as a singer he is most of the time too strict in following the canons of Neo to impress me. Okay, evoking something halfway between Derek “Fish” Dick and Cyrus “Xyrus” Scott (Citizen Cain), he appears as a good apprentice-in-absentia of Peter Gabriel in the end, but nevertheless his professionalism in this particular field doesn’t come across as something special, of course, besides which he sings almost non-stop, if not to say off the reel. Neither of James’ benefactors duplicates, etc, his vocals via overdubs, whereas he does – from time to time, yet on each of the disc’s eight tracks delivering 3- or 4-voice virtual choirs, while hearing which I’m often reminded of those in AOR. Thankfully, although the album is heavy (or at least rather abundant) in vocals, on almost all of the compositions the soloists, meaning the band’s players and side participants alike, create wonders of a sort. Instead of constructing what we in such cases comprehend as a mere backdrop for the singing, they solo intensely and almost ceaselessly, often shining with virtuosity (particularly the flutists), creating lively as well as fairly intricate arrangements with many – often sharp – changes in both pace and density, so there are plenty of pleasing structural and dynamic contrasts on the recording. What’s also of great significance is that the musicians really succeed in merging different sonic fabrics into one cohesive whole, as a result of which most of their creation appears as a quite innovative take on Neo Progressive. It’s surprisingly rich in vintage devices and has additionally a sense of Classical – on all the tracks where the bowed instruments are present, namely Water Run, The Baptism, The Prayer and One Breath to Breathe. The last of these pieces is basically slow-paced throughout, but I don’t think anyone else will remain indifferent towards it, as it’s full of warm chamber tones and is generally a thing of beauty. In terms of development, the other three have a lot in common with both Nocturne and The Sixth Day, along with which they actually form the album’s prevalent musical picture (whose instrumental part is described or at least sketched above). There is another aspect that unites these five songs: each of them contains ‘heavy’ elements which pop up here and there, occasionally taking the shape of full-fledged progressive Doom Metal – a component which blossoms out on the last and the longest track, The Reunion (21:43). The only composition that reveals not only brief instrumental intermezzos (as all the others do), but also some massive vocal-free arrangements, it is also the sole creation in the set that shows signs of derivation on its instrumental level, too. About two thirds of it echo mid-‘90s Threshold, while the remainder evokes classic Jethro Tull, which though doesn’t upset me at all, as the piece has a grandiose, truly epic magnitude and is generally a standout. The remaining track, the mellow Reflection, would’ve been a conventional ballad if it hadn’t been rich in refined acoustic tapestries – with your permission, and by saying so I mean above all those that are woven by the flute.Vitaly Menshikov
Conclusion. None of the songs here are as rich in different thematic storylines as those by the leading modern art-rock acts – be it Cast, Kotebel or even the Par Lindh Project, besides which there are really plenty of vocals on this outing – too many even by the standards of Neo (which may scare off those who are into classic Symphonic Progressive). Nevertheless, thanks to Edensong’s highly resourceful approach to the instrumental arrangements, their debut album turns out to be one of the most innovative creations that have ever been released within that genre.
With the long work being finally over and the major, so far most precious release being out in the open, the bet now goes on how this band, Edensong, with a strong, round-shaped and highly enjoyable debut, can capture attention all over places in veraciously quick time and can receive full acclaim from progressive rock fans and critics. So far it's all good.Victor (Ricochet)
It's been, indeed, an insanely long journey before this debut was released in the mid-April of 2008; in fact The Fruit Fallen is a project dating back in 2004. The pieces that make up this album vary themselves as D.O.C. (date of composition), over these four full years, while a couple others - if reading carefully on the band's main website - were left out of the official record. Since the basis of this ensemble was set even earlier into the early years of the decade - James Byron Schoen and Matt Cozin having been part of the original trio - it's been definitely a tough, long ride till this very moment, where plans are probably already drawn for new material or for extensive touring in other to promote this one. The way the music sounds, both complex and carrying actually a hard imprimée of over-done small things, speaks for itself.
The conceptuality marked by titles and symbols seems very peculiar regarding Edensong, since even before anything was started on The Fruit Fallen, the band conceived a rock-opera named Beyond Eden (promoted afterwards, though not in the completely same formation, in a tour, at the end of which the ideas for a new album were already starting to catch ground), while Schoen and the third member of the original trio, gone too shortly after to receive any real credit, played together in a band called Echoes of Eden. It's more peculiar, seeing this differently, that the place where this lopsided conceptuality ends is the album itself, where religion is pointed out several times, but not in a significant, nor strict way.
The music, in fact, is much more than you could imagine from just looking or reading about, the experience is heavy, regular and enlightening. Not likely to be the top band and top result of the year, still consistent, demanding and (once trialed) deserving in more than one way. At the time of The Fruit Fallen being finalized for good, in 2008, the core band is made out of Schoen playing the whole set of guitars plus being the lead singer, while Matt Cozin plays drums, two flutists literally alternate between pieces, Arthur Sugden complements with piano and organ, while violinist M. Drucker moreover refines the music's passages than having actual dense contributions. Still, Edensong's debut was also crystallized with the massive contribution of several more musicians, despite that we're talking additional dubbing upon certain pieces, the instrumental list and range not changing dramatically, except synthesizers, cello and more esoteric percussions. Once listening to The Fruit Fallen, you'll probably not be warmed more by one particular artist than by the others, they all perform realistically well, but, just for side notes, Schoen delivers gifted, sensible or strapping guitar music, while his singing, even if good (and quite excellent, towards the end), is not entirely high-praise-worthy.
As style derives from influences or undergoes the search for the original factor, we're mainly talking about a look being taken into classic progressive bands (particularly in the parts were symphonic prog can be sensed or is plainly interpreted), not important enough however, since the main drive is modern, intelligent prog rock. Edensong do have the common desire to catch an original expression, and while in sound and concept all is possible, the overall rock flavor is not something unheard; but it's neither prosaic, but fresh, stable, heavily-worked upon - all good assets. In picturing a rather active eclecticism (that includes abundant art rock, sudden symphonic structures, rather instrument-based folk, power rock, alternative a.s.), one thing might attract fans of a different caliber than art or concept rock, as the heaviness put in essential moments of unleash and grasp is not heavy rock per se, but closes in solidly on metal. So to say, the Dream Theater quarter side of the main blend gets fulfilled, while an influence was even noted to be Alice In Chains. It's something curious, at least, in terms of conception, while inside music, metal is to be fully credited, but not in dangerous quotas.
Running 71 minutes, with only 8 selected compositions, The Fruit Fallen is a truly solid work. Taking another look at the concept, almost every piece has its main idea. At least two themes - the loss of love and death, the latter approached in the last two tracks of the album - come from experience (in death's case, everything being a tribute to someone). The lyrics can have a bit of what I've mentioned to be over-done (one other thing would be instrumental passages that have a real good sound, yet lose out when talking about their essence), but it mainly sounds too developed to be taken as one-dimensional. More interesting (and undoubtedly enjoyable) will be observed the certain twist of style, color, ambition and feel in most of the pieces. Taken individually, only Water Run, the folk-alternative opener, and Reflection, a soothing ballad containing probably a very representative expression of the band, are pieces that flow overall the same. Inner changes in The Prayer (from acoustic folk to heavy rock) and Nocturne's discreet-disturbed flow (which sadly doesn't bring anything close to Chopin, despite being officially related to him) can or can't impress. The Baptism is on the other hand probably most intriguing, being the basic breakup song, but coming down the middle with church organs and intonatios that clearly bring the color of religion, while the mood turns heavier and heavier, you don't even catch up with when the vocal and instrumental drama becomes a tad extra raging. Religion, otherwise, is fully evoked in The Sixth Day, which counts for me as the most astounding piece done by Edensong so far. If ever to feel perfection and graceful music coming from the band, it's down this ending part, with The Sixth Day so imposing and One Breath To Breathe so tearful. The finale, an epic of 21 minutes called The Reunion, is actually made of two distinct pieces, 10 respectively 8 1/2 minutes long, 3 middle minutes being intermission silence. Both are evolved as also distinct, forming a contrast of rapid and soft music: in the first piece, rapid means metal, while soft actually means a full dramatic halo of vocals and rock, net superior to the second piece coming afterwards, where dynamic and progressive motives are contrasted by instant flexible moments where the tension is just loosened.
Overall, this is a very good and deep effort by Edensong, a bright progressive rock modern band on the horizon. While savoring it should only mean the music and the stylistic pollen fully reaches you, The Fruit Fallen couldn't have been a more compact and stimulating album after all the time it took to be made. Unreservedly recommended
The work leading up this album took a little bit more time than including the band and the album in Prog Archives - but both were very much worth the effort.Angelo
First of all - after quite a few listens to the album, the overall picture is that if one band fits the definition of Eclectic Prog it's Edensong. Across eight very well balanced and intricate compositions, the caring listener is treated to symphonic, folk, metal (Edensong was preceded by Schoen's prog metal band Echoes of Eden, which disbanded in 2000) and even some jazz - just listen to some of T.D. Towers bass work on e.g. The Baptism). Comparing Edensong to just any one band from these genres doesn't sum up the sound of this album. Putting Yes, Jethro Tull, Malicorne, Shadow Gallery, Dream Theater in a Magimix blender may give you an idea of how this band tastes. Of course, there is not one line up responsible for all tracks, but the compositional skills of Schoen and the sheer talent of all the musicians he worked with over the past years to create this album are remarkable.
Highlights of the album for me are the two longest tracks, The Sixth Day and Reunion (the latter runs 21 minutes because it includes the 'secret track' To See But Not Believe), closely followed by The Baptism. All three are intricate compositions - using influences from the bands and musical styles mentioned above, and going through a number of mood and tempo changes. Not exactly background music - but a great choice for an evening of well played modern progressive rock.
Large parts of the album were part of what was initially conceived as a live show - Beyond Eden : A Surrealistic Pseudo Rock-Opera, on which Schoen started working in 2002. Listening to the album and reading the lyrics makes me hope that, after the disbanding of the last Edensong line up and the release of this album, James Byron Schoen manages to get a band together for touring and further releases. I'd love to see this band perform live in Europe in the not too distant future.
EDENSONG is the project of vocalist / guitarist James Byron Schoen. In the liner notes he thanks "Ian Anderson as the obvious representative for the too-many-name others whose music has inspired me over the years". So not surprisingly there is flute on every track along with lots of acoustic guitar and violin. Lots of guests on this one too,so we hear a wide array of instruments.This is a very proggy album with elements of Folk, Symphonic and even Metal.John Davie
"Water Run" opens with acoustic guitar as just about all the songs do. Drums then violin follow before vocals and flute join in. Flute and drums are prominant, there is some piano and organ too. The vocals don't do a lot for me at times. "The Baptism" is more laid back to start with until flute comes in. It settles back down when reserved vocals and mournful violin take over. Kicks back in as contrasts continue. Some nice bass 5 minutes in as the organ floats in the background. "Reflection" is mellow with fragile vocals and lots of acoustic guitar and flute. "The Prayer" sounds great before 2 minutes with the heavy drums, flute and violin. Vocals join in and organ. A calm follows with acoustic guitar as contrasts continue. "Nocturne" is the only song to open with vocals and piano. It kicks in before 2 minutes which sounds much better. The bass, drums and organ standout. Some heaviness with flute before 5 1/2 minutes. A calm 6 1/2 minutes with vocals in the style of Phideaux. Great section before 8 minutes.
"The Sixth Day" opens with acoustic guitar as outbursts of heaviness come and go. Vocals before 2 minutes. Riffs 6 minutes in, a minute later and more before 8 minutes. Passionate vocals 9 minutes in. Good song. "One Breath To Breathe" opens with drums and flute and is a mellow track for the most part. Acoustic guitar and piano help out as well. "The Reunion" is the almost 22 minute closer. It opens with acoustic guitar as vocals and harmonies arrive before a minute. Some heaviness 2 minutes in. Contrasts continue. Ripping guitar after 4 minutes. Thankyou. Organ, flute and drums 8 minutes in. The song stops dead before 10 minutes and stays that way for some reason until after 13 minutes. Guitar comes in sounding great as they "rock out". It does settle at times but the last 9 minutes of this song is refreshingly aggressive.
Good album, but at 75 minutes it feels too long. The vocals are hit and miss for me, but really there's not much to complain about or rave about on this album.
Edensong is the musical creation of James Byron Schoen represting a true work of personal commitment and devotion. "The Fruit Fallen" is pure "prog" and offers a nice range of themes, moods and tempos. What I find cleverly unusual is that it works so well on many different levels.....from the heavy lyrics and harmonies to the emotive mix of cello, flute and guitar. Schoen also uses a nice selection of guest musicans and instrumentation including Tablas and African percussion. Sonically this album has been well produced and will sound great over your speakers. The first 2 tracks "Water Run" and "The Baptism" will totally transfix your ears and draw you into the whole album. Musically this album draws on a vocal style not unlike Matthew Parmenter's devil'ish side while blending the acoustic aura of IONA (flutes, cello, acoustic guitar) and the heavy musical prowess of DISCIPLINE. This is a great first album for Edensong and I recommend this album for all who still cling close to the Prog!James Unger
A real good debut album by US outfit Edensong here.Paul Fowler
The foundation of their compositions seems to be pastoral, mellow themes with elements of folk music and classical music incorporated in explorations where acoustic guitar, flute and violin are central. As the compositions evolve the intensity of these instruments rise, folk-tinged rhythms or regular drums are added; and the songs seems to gravitate towards art rock territories most times; especially when the Hammond makes it appearance - often underscored by electric guitars or; in a few instances, cello.
The cello adds some chamber rock elements into this folk, classical and art rock mix when utilized. As the topping, most tunes also feature heavier riff segments towards the end; some of them closing in on prog metal in expression.
It's a remarkebly well made and highly diverse creation we're dealing with here - lots of nerve and tension provided in a mostly subtle manner - and one to check out for listeneres with eclectic musical tastes.
A long time in the making, The Fruit Fallen is the brainchild of guitarist/vocalist James Byron Schoen who along with the help of numerous other musicians has produced a very eclectic mix of prog. There are elements of symphonic, folk and metal present. As well as the usual array of keyboards, guitars, drums etc the soundscape is broadened by the addition of flute, cello and violin.Olav Martin Bjørnsen
The music is fairly complex with a lot going on and a number of longer pieces where the band can display their musical chops which are very good. Unfortunately despite having the potential to be a very good album it's all a little unmemorable. Schoen couldn't be described as any more than an adequate vocalist and a lack of strong melodies make each track largely forgotten as they come and go, even after numerous plays. Occasional moments of inspiration lift things here and there but it is usually frustratingly short lived before delving again into competent mediocrity.
The best is saved until last; The Reunion which on first appearances seems to be a 22 minute epic but around halfway there's a long silence and an unnamed song starts. The first half in particular shows some potential with stronger melodies both vocally and musically. Unfortunately though it's all too little too late. A few more tracks along the lines of this could have raised its rating by a star.
Overall then disappointing but the music is well played and with such an eclectic blend of styles I wouldn't write them off just yet.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.Jonathan Payeur
I really wished that Edensong would bring me a new perspective, a breath of fresh oxygen, but once again, the fruit is not falling far from the traditional new-school-of-prog.
Okay, a nice concept based on religious matter with okay lyrics, but it's just that the music never got my total attention. Here and there, crunchy guitars and violin, but I really wanted something more organic, with vintage keys and more flute. Seems to me that this concept could've used more digging, more intensity. This type of subject is well carved for mellotron and symphonic grandeur, too bad is sounds a bit skinny for me.
I felt this band is more on the verge of neo-prog like Believe, Unitopia or Knight Area; you know, a lot to say but we hoped for different stuff.
Not super-convincing but professional and applied.
"The Fruit Fallen" contiene una fuerte dosis de rock sinfónico, con fuertes y equilibrados elementos metálicos y atmosférica junto con elementos folk acústicos. Un álbum con buenas secciones, algunos fuertes cambios de intención, buenas interacciones entre instrumentos y algunos temas memorables.
En todo caso, es un ejercicio musical más que interesante, con excelentes momentos, y un resultado general más que satisfactorio.
En todo caso, esúchenlo y saques sus propias conclusiones.
Y pueden comparar y/o escuchar el álbum completo, desde aquí: edensong.bandcamp.com/album/the-fruit-fallen
edensongtheband.com
www.myspace.com/edensong
blog.edensongtheband.com
Download: (Flac + CUE + Log + Escones)
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Y repito, desde aquí lo pueden comparar y/o escuchar:
ResponderEliminarhttp://edensong.bandcamp.com/album/the-fruit-fallen