Album Review: Eyes Wide Open – Through Life And Death (Arising Empire)

Eyes Wide Open is a four-piece modern metal band based in Karlstad, Sweden. Their music carries the torch on behalf of the Swedish melodic death metal scene, mixing it with modern sounds and new influences inspired from metalcore.

Following on from their previous and fourth album The Upside Down (2019), Eyes Wide Open’s latest record Through Life and Death explores depression, greed, betrayal, and every inner demon of the human mind.

It will be available as CD, coloured vinyl and special bundles via Impericon & EMP on the 12th November via Arising Empire.

Beginning with some cinematic flair (World on Fire), Eyes Wide Open come out of the gates with a head of steam on Devastation. A screaming and screeching blast of melodic death metal tinged with metalcore bounce and punching hard with a massive sounding chorus. It’s a very hot start.

Which continues into the frenzied high of Fall Out and melodramatic melody-focused Burn ‘Em. Eyes Wide Open continuing to show that their modern and fresh take on their core scene is interesting and challenging. If they’ve been making strong headway with their previous releases, this might be the one that pushes them over the line.

A track like End of Days, with its classic riff-work and modern melodies, is a great example of just how balanced this album is. Then we have the title track’s flair and ‘get up and freaking move’ chorus, Eraser’s moody melody, Brother’s hefty metal focus and Wildfire’s punchy, heavy and head-banging rhythm. The latter also features a very strong guitar solo too.

Impossible to not enjoy, Eyes Wide Open are still super-hot and bring in two guests for the thumping and animated wildness of Echoes. Before the penultimate track, Where Death Meets Paradise has them get moody and super-melodic again for a strong hit to the feelings. Effectively the final track as Bridge to the Future is a morose electric acoustic outro. It’s a powerful and epic finish.

Eyes Wide Open have something here. This is going to set the metal world alight.

Eyes Wide Open – Through Life and Death Full Track Listing:

1. World on Fire
2. Devastation
3. Fall Out
4. Burn ‘Em
5. End of Days
6. Through Life and Death
7. Eraser
8. Brother
9. Wildfire
10. Echoes (Ft. Richard Sjunnesson & Jonathan Thorpenberg of The Unguided)
11. Where Death meets Paradise
12. Bridge to The Future

Links

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