Album Review: Eden Rayz – Corpus Vice (Self Released)

Eden Rayz is a composer, session cellist, and the vocalist of death metal bands Angel Grinder and Scaphism. Her debut solo album ‘Corpus Vice’ was released on May 16th, 2022 to coincide with the super flower blood moon and total lunar eclipse.

Corpus Vice is made up of 7 short movements and is written for 2 flutes (Antonina Styczeń), clarinet (Shannon Leigh), bassoon (Grant Bingham), 4 celli and harsh vocals (Eden Rayz), electric guitar and bass guitar (Will Ponturo of wiles), and drum set, marimba, vibraphone, timpano, wood blocks, and brake drums, all performed by Austin Birdy.

Kicking off the album with the track, Saint Anthony’s Fire. Eden Rayz sets up the unique and experimental sound this record exudes in thrilling style. It’s a magnificent opening track where words can’t quite do it justice. Noise, nonsense, insanity, the work of a genius… whatever word you can think of to describe it, you won’t be able to accurately portray its brilliance.

That is one track though, a track we we’re already familiar with. How does the rest of the album hold up? Well, atmosphere is the keyword. Threnody No. 1 giving off real horror movie vibes (something like Texas Chainsaw Massacre), the stop-start clamour is really uncomfortable but fascinating.

Then we get the seven parts of the album title. Starting with Awareness, where effects akin to a warning alarm get things started. The darkness builds to a crescendo before dropping into moody and mellow depths. It transitions peacefully into Vice, the music getting more and more tense as it goes on. To call it baffling is an understatement but like everything heard so far, it’s captivating.

Resist is up next, and the eerie playful tune is very unsettling, the whole tone is disjointed and difficult to listen too. Call it measured chaos that eases into Ascension and then Acceptance, where the sound becomes more drone like, and the darkness continues to spread. The unbalanced noise seeps into the soul and slowly, you find yourself becoming one with what is playing.

The final two parts are Corpus and Devotion, the former; unsettling atmosphere that almost feels light when compared to what just came before. The latter; a longer and more intense, wailing slice of atmosphere-laden horror. Two different but mesmerising pieces that continue to prove this album might be one of the most unique records hear this year.

All good things (although it’s fair to say that it’s not going to be for everyone) must come to an end. Here it is Threnody No. II that wraps things up and, unsurprisingly, it is as strange as everything else heard so far. The sense of longing, the sense of folksiness, the sense of disorder… it’s everything great about this album.

This album really is something special. In a world of ‘heard it all before’, to listen to something so inimitable is amazing. Yes, it is unconventional, difficult and sure to polarise but as an experience, it stays with you. Give it a listen, you might end up loving it.

Eden Rayz – Corpus Vice Full Track Listing:

1. Saint Anthony’s Fire
2. Threnody No. 1
3. Corpus Vice, I. Awareness
4. Corpus Vice, II. Vice
5. Corpus Vice, III. Resist
6. Corpus Vice, IV. Ascension
7. Corpus Vice, V. Acceptance
8. Corpus Vice, VI. Corpus
9. Corpus Vice, VII. Devotion
10. Threnody No. II

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