eden's curse the second coming

Released: 24 October 2008 Label: AFM

It all starts with such promise. As the Reign of Terror intro gives way to the opening salvo of Masquerade Ball and Angels and Demons, it seems that Eden's Curse are about to deliver a highly satisfying album of Edguy / Stratovarius-style power metal.
 
Sadly though, that's about as good as it gets because Eden's Curse struggle to reach the standards set on those opening two tracks throughout the rest of the album. Just Like Judas briefly brings to mind Dio-era Rainbow and the musical talent of the band is undeniable, but for the most part the songs simply fail to register on any emotional level.
 
Eden's Curse have all the raw ingredients for a tasty recipe, successfully combining classic rock influences like Ozzy, Scorpions and Europe with newer acts like the aformentioned Edguy. Sure, the musicians can shred and soar with the best of them; but by the time the album is halfway through, Eden's Curse like a band that have run out of ideas and are content to merely be treading water.
 
The honesty and the sincerity with which Eden's Curse go about their work is admirable, but they are competing in a genre of metal that is already hugely overpopulated and, based on this release, it's hard to see them having enough about them to ever truly stand out from the crowd.

by Marcus Jervis