New Eden – “Stagnant Progression”
I never understood the reason Steel Prophet singer Rick Mythiasin was kicked out of the band: his singing. Apparently, Steel Prophet did not want high vocals.
Luckily, Rick continues to make music, like he has now with the hard-working, persistent progressive thrashers New Eden. I hope the band and he keep working together because this third full-length certainly sounds interesting, if you like traditional metal singing and clear, crisp thrash. Intelligently constructed structures and songs written by a bunch of guys who sound like they have no clue about trends and fashions.
Rick’s singing sounds as good as when he was in Steel Prophet. It is the music that’s different because the two guitarists, Horacio Colmenares and Tim Thomas, write true pieces that sound deceptively straightforward. It is to their credit that they manage to make it sound catchy; with plenty of guitar solos, too. The lyrics are introspective, on the literary side, e.g., “stagnant progression”. Some critics will complain that this is music for musicians. Hey, if you want simpler music, there’s always Hatebreed.