Band:	The Eternal
Album:	Sleep Of Reason
Style:	Gothic doom metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	September 2005

01. Awaken, Arise
02. Everlasting
03. To Drown
04. A Soul Undone
05. Hollow Inside
06. In My Skin
07. A Dreams End
08. Beneath The Soil
09. Sleep Of Reason
10. The Dying Light
11. Weight Of Empathy

The Australian band The Eternal arose, a few years ago, from the ashes of Cryptal Darkness, a band that had co-operated with a very important member of the most historical period of My Dying Bride, Martin Powell, playing the violin in their albums as well. Their name gives more information than you can imagine for the sound identity of the band and, of course, as you correctly realized, I am referring to Paradise Lost, a band that wanders a lot in the compositions of The Eternal.

"The Sleep Of Reason" is their second release and it's more mature from its predecessor, "The Sombre Light Of Isolation". The compositions are filled with an intense "Icon"-"Draconian Times" feeling, enriched at times with the modern sound of "Paradise Lost". Despite that, someone may notice personal ideas from the band, but the Paradise Lost influences are too vivid that they don't make the listener pay the ideal attention to the original parts of The Eternal's music.

The sound of the band is a bit doomy, with an intense gothic feeling as well, and bombastic, with the rhythm section sounding imposing, while the Sisters Of Mercy references are present, but what I really don't know is if these references come straight from the band or via the Paradise Lost influences, judging from the fact that the Sisters of Mercy had a huge impact on Paradise Lost's guitar work. Despite that, the guitar riffing is unerring and inspired, with the band unfolding their melodies in a fabulous way. The piano passages bring forth memories of the gothic/melancholic aesthetic of "Draconian Times", while the keyboard melodies that float like orchestrations in the air make the overall atmosphere more fragile and murky.

Concerning the vocals, whether you listen to the singer of The Eternal or Nick Holmes you won't find many differences, now, if this is bad or not I leave the decision up to you because it doesn't matter too much to me since the compositions of the band flow wonderfully and the vocals, despite the fact that they are not that original, are deeply emotional and expressive. What someone may notice as well is that, when they sound more fragile and melancholic, the vocals bring forth memories of the sensational singing accent of The Mission's Wayne Hussey.

Concluding, "Sleep Of Reason" is an album for all the Paradise Lost fans of the "Icon"-"Draconian Times" era, all the others check it if you like, it won't disappoint you at all, or deal first with the Paradise Lost albums I mentioned above, if you see that you love them and you want a very good and inspired additional option don't miss The Eternal. Highlights of the album are the dynamic and, at the same time, emotional "Everlasting" and "To Drown", the atmospheric "In My Skin" and "The Dying Light" and the utterly emotional "Hollow Inside".

"Raise my eyes into the morning light and I know I'll be there soon, remembrance of another life and I know I'll be with you?"