Power metal’s classiest underground act make another bid for greatness
Perhaps the best band on the power metal underground, Eden’s Curse are, in this country at least, the band that has nearly been huge. Perhaps they should have been, but that is another argument for another day.
Their 2011 “Trinity” record saw them sing with James LaBrie (he guested on the astonishingly good “No Holy Man” track) and as a result, open for Dream Theater (MV saw a wonderful show at Wolverhampton Civic Hall). 2013’s brilliant “Symphony Of Sin” record almost took them mainstream too. Now they are back with “Cardinal”.
Back too, with another new line up. Drummer John Clelland (Code Of Silence) and Finnish keyboard player Christian “Chrism” Pulkkinen(Simulacrum, Adamantra) both make their studio debut’s here – and the result is what might – and this is some call given the back catalogue – be their best record to date.
It is obvious from the second that “Prophets Of Doom” kicks in that this is pretty special. Chugging riffery, keyboards, soaring harmonies and the huge voice of Nikola Mijic are all to the fore within its first minute, as if to prove that they are still here.
“Sell Your Soul” with its keybord and bass driven hook, would make for a fine single if anyone cared about such things, while “The Great Pretender” basically a masterclass in how to do this type of thing, is not just “Cardinal’s” best song, but the best of Eden’s Curse’s career.
Heavier than you might think too, “Messiah Complex” gallops in a kind of Iced Earth way, “Find My Way” on the other hand takes things into a totally different place, one where the Power Ballad is king.
Personal choice, possibly, but MV prefers Eden’s Curse when they are doing the balls-out rockers, “Kingdom Of Solitude” sees them doing just that, but with a funky flourish, and “Utopian Dreams” can’t see why everything shouldn’t be as big as possible and set about proving it.
On a 12 track album, you might expect some weak spots. You’d have to look very hard to find one here, “Rome’s On Fire” throttles back on the epic stuff and settles for being just a superb hard rock song and you imagine “Unconditional” – which features the unmistakable tones of Liv Kristine – was a highlight for everyone involved.
The use of the choral Latin stuff at the start of “Saint’s And Sinners” is a real masterstroke, giving the track some real depth, and the slow burning, methodical and yet uplifting “Jericho” gives the record exactly the ending it not only needed but deserved too.
Paul Logue, the unassuming man behind Eden’s Curse has done it again, but this time only better. Eden’s Curse have never released a bad record. “Cardinal”, though, is a triumphant one.
Rating 9/10
