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

Review by Brian on January 22, 2014.

Sometimes a band becomes more than just a band. They transcend being a group of musicians writing and playing songs and become something far greater. The band itself represents a philosophical idea. Austrian avantgarde black metal act Echelon is that band.

With their debut album Vivito! Creato! Moritor!, Echelon prove they are not your average band. Although black metal is the central style and can be heard in all the songs, they also add many different styles into the mix. This is a very eclectic album. With a dash of punk, a pinch of rock and roll, even some hints of doom can be heard. They manage to put all these together and it never sounds forced.

Vivito! Creato! Moritor! opening track "Les Grande Misères De La Guerre" begins with a beautiful acoustic guitar and is complimented by a march drum beat. The snare sound is so warm and inviting and the beat itself is simple and it grabs the listeners attention. Once the electric guitars make their appearance with the a beautiful melody there is spoken word that enters as well. Making this track the perfect intro to the album. "Der Baum Der Gehangten" follows with a almost rock riff that leads into the black metal sound that is prevalent throughout the albums thirteen tracks. Echelon describes the album as being in two concentric circles. The inner circle is the first nine tracks of the album and focuses on the works of painters Jacques Mallot, Francisco de Goya and Eduard Manet. the emphasis is on war. The outer circle are the last four songs and reflect the work of Otto Dix. I am not going to go any further with this, but mentioned it to give you a feel of where the band is coming from and how much thought they put into this album.

Echelon provide the listener with a deeper listening experience. The lyrics and artwork are just as important as the music. This is an extremely well crafted album and each track just flows seamlessly into the next. It is epic without being pretentious. This is a near flawless album and contains no filler whatsoever. Each track is necessary and from the start it draws the listener in and wraps itself around you, but you never feel constricted. It's like being held captive with the ability to leave at anytime, but you wish to stay. This is as strong of a debut that I have ever heard. This is the first album of the year that I can say will end up finding its way on my year end list. Echelon have a very bright future and Vivito! Creato! Moritor! is just the beginning of what should be a great career.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 9
Originality: 10
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Brian on January 22, 2014.

Sometimes a band becomes more than just a band. They transcend being a group of musicians writing and playing songs and become something far greater. The band itself represents a philosophical idea. Austrian avantgarde black metal act Echelon is that band.

With their debut album Vivito! Creato! Moritor!, Echelon prove they are not your average band. Although black metal is the central style and can be heard in all the songs, they also add many different styles into the mix. This is a very eclectic album. With a dash of punk, a pinch of rock and roll, even some hints of doom can be heard. They manage to put all these together and it never sounds forced.

Vivito! Creato! Moritor! opening track "Les Grande Misères De La Guerre" begins with a beautiful acoustic guitar and is complimented by a march drum beat. The snare sound is so warm and inviting and the beat itself is simple and it grabs the listeners attention. Once the electric guitars make their appearance with the a beautiful melody there is spoken word that enters as well. Making this track the perfect intro to the album. "Der Baum Der Gehangten" follows with a almost rock riff that leads into the black metal sound that is prevalent throughout the albums thirteen tracks. Echelon describes the album as being in two concentric circles. The inner circle is the first nine tracks of the album and focuses on the works of painters Jacques Mallot, Francisco de Goya and Eduard Manet. the emphasis is on war. The outer circle are the last four songs and reflect the work of Otto Dix. I am not going to go any further with this, but mentioned it to give you a feel of where the band is coming from and how much thought they put into this album.

Echelon provide the listener with a deeper listening experience. The lyrics and artwork are just as important as the music. This is an extremely well crafted album and each track just flows seamlessly into the next. It is epic without being pretentious. This is a near flawless album and contains no filler whatsoever. Each track is necessary and from the start it draws the listener in and wraps itself around you, but you never feel constricted. It's like being held captive with the ability to leave at anytime, but you wish to stay. This is as strong of a debut that I have ever heard. This is the first album of the year that I can say will end up finding its way on my year end list. Echelon have a very bright future and Vivito! Creato! Moritor! is just the beginning of what should be a great career.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 9
Originality: 10
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.5 out of 10