Review by Monika on March 27, 2014.

I don’t know what it is about listening to music in the car. Is it that I can enjoy it by myself, for myself, the way I like it…. And accelerate even more than I'm already going. Eyes Wide Open came up in the player. Oh, man.

Aftermath is the first full album for these gentlemen from Sweden, following their EP that I have yet to hear (read: abuse in my CD player). Before I start my praises, I must say – the opening track should be the last one. It should be the one that lets you take a breather, lets you slow down, wind down. It was a track that caught me off-guard, because it was too calm for me, too soothing. Then, what came next was quite a tasty feast of music, vocals ranging from growling to clear, soaring singing, combined with a powerful, fast, rhythmic, up-tempo songs that made my little dark soul happy, oh so happy. The cover could not have been made any better to reflect what this album is about – about breaking away, breaking free. “New World Order.” Perfect. One idea kept throughout the lyrics, reinforced with strong graphic, and the band name such as Eyes Wide Open – those boys are ready to make their stand known in the world of Metal. The album is, overall, great; it is a well thought-out release. And it is an album that is literally requesting for the following albums to raise the bar.

Do I absolutely love this album? Yes. Is it something brand new that I have not heard before? No. But they seem to have created something that is very hard to come by in the nowadays popular genre of melodic death metal. They do stand out amongst many others that are trying. Music is not overpowering, vocals are excellent, mixing is right where it should be, every part of the composition has its righteous force, and it all is just freaking awesome. I foresee a bright future for Eyes Wide Open – and I suggest that you keep your ears wide open for what they are about to bring.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 7.5
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8.3 out of 10