Eyes Wide Open
And so it Begins

…And so it begins… that phrase always has me thinking of Babylon 5, that great television show that told this interesting and magnificent story. That is also what Swedish band Eyes Wide Open calls their second album, the third part in their trilogy that begun with the EP Revelations and continued with the debut album Aftermath and ends with this one. The cover art looks really quite great, it looks quite exciting and interesting. The previous album had its benefits but was also quite common in many regards making it a somewhat forgettable album, they have had some years to mature now and there are some outstanding highlights on this new album.

Stylistically it does not differ that much from the predecessor, it is the same kind of modern melodic death metal, some would probably use the metalcore label to describe what we get to hear when we listen to this new album. Personally I think the difference between death metal, metalcore and whatever is quite a fluid thing and it is never particularly clear cut and it depends on who you ask what is metalcore or death metal. The new singer is quite good, and fits the bill really well according to some experts I have apparently consulted. And the production is very good as well, stronger than ever you might say as it is probably the best production this far by Eyes Wide Open.

It is a rather good album with good songs and that sort of thing; it is also short and to the point, which is always a good thing. The opening track is very energetic and good but the best track has to be the fourth track We Reached for the Sky, which is a powerful semi-ballad where the band’s skillset really shines. At the best moments this album really shines, but overall I don’t think it is fresh enough, or exciting enough to really stand out. They have some seeds of greatness but when doing something that so many have done before, you really need to pull something really special out of your hat and these guys aren’t doing that just yet.

 In the end I think we can conclude that Eyes Wide Open once again has put together a solid melodic death metal album with strong choruses and that sort of thing. It is an album that will probably be most liked by fans of melodic death metal. And though I still wonder what kind of band names their second album And So It Begins I still think that they might be worth checking out, it is good.

HHHHHHH