Eden Circus - Marula - review
Eden Circus - Marula - review
Tracklist
01. Devoid Of Purpose02. Comfort
03. A Desert In Between
04. 101
05. Arc
06. Summon A Ghost
07. A Shore Uncertainty
08. Her Lovely Hands Upon The Black Earth
09. Playing You
A review by
tea[m]ster January 31, 2015
Hamburg, Germany's Eden Circus took an odd path getting to Marula. The quintet was formed in 2010 and after a couple years of honing their writing skills during jam sessions and impromptu get-togethers, instead of making an album, they took those ideas to the road first. Playing live exclusively during 2012 and 2013 allowed the band time to refine their sound, attaining the rehearsal and inspiration needed for recording their first major LP. It's a nice payoff, Marula is a huge album, both length and content-wise. Over 60 minutes of music, the elements on the album consist of accessible, alternative metal structures conveying with emotional post rock and progressive metal intricacies. It truly is a unique sound, giving the band an identity all their own.
The balance between soft and heavy sequences is perfect and the seamless time changes generate the kind of mood and atmosphere that really gets the brain working and the blood pumping. Maynard James Keenan-type of whispered singing abruptly changes into elicit death growl explosions, light and airy guitar verses gracefully drift into crushing riffs and memorable melodies, and overall simplistic tones and textures balance perfectly with layered, dense, hard-hitting choruses. Intrigue, mystique and mystery are all features that enhance the listening experience and with additional replays, the innovation and complexity will eventually shine through from the very first song to the last. Every track has it's own individuality, I can distinctively remember what each song sounds like and they all have the ability to dance around in your head for long periods of time.
If Karnivool, Soen and Tool are bands that interest you, Eden Circus will not only hold their own with them but might be a tier above. I always have a tendency to overreact when rating albums I like, but I love this album so much I have no choice but to give Marula a near perfect rating. The flow, presentation and production are elite quality; the spaciness between the instruments is done to perfection and the creative energy, eventful moments and flawless execution lift Marula towards Album Of The Year status. It's as good as an atmospheric metal listen since Anathema's We're Here Because We're Here and I can't stop listening.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 10 |
Written on 31.01.2015 by
Written on 31.01.2015 by
Be gentle, I never said I was any good at this! Comments
Comments:
13
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 Posts: 8654 |
Posts: 8654
Yeah, this is a really solid album. I definitely need to listen to it further to get to know it better, but the closing couple tracks really stood out when I first checked out the album; however the whole package was great from memory. Nice review once again too, I'm always impressed by your ability to effectively convey the individual strengths and characteristics of post/atmospheric metal bands and albums; given how nebulous this kind of music can sometimes be, putting the proper words to it can be a challenge. 
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Posts: 540  |
Posts: 540
I'm liking what I hear so far. Thanks for sharing. I didn't care much for Soen but I can tell these guys are definitely a big step above.
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Posts: 57 |
Posts: 57
I'm really glad to read this review. And your ratings are beyond what I'd expect but I cannot think of why they do not deserve it!  I hope it doesn't hurt the credibility of the band if I add I'm not a regular atmospheric/ post rock listener. I stumbled across this album and was surprised to find this record has among the least hits on this site. I wondered if this was not as good as I thought it was. But you sir, cleared the air for me with this review  I atleast hope every prog rock fan gives this a go.I'd like to add, there's a wee bit of the The Ocean (Ger) too -most notably the post chorus sections ( one with growls) on track 2 'Comfort' sounds JUST like their compatriot's Pelagial's slower sludgy moments - sylistically and (nearly) tonally. But as I said , wee bit as much as the vocals go whispering like maynard. I think it's pretty cool how they blend it all into their own authentic sound! Easily a 9'er for me! \m/
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Posts: 6941
Thanks for reviewing! I was indeed letting this one slip by but your words really inspired me to give it a listen. Only one song is streaming on their Bandcamp site but I was completely in love after about 4 seconds. I'm sure I'll love the entire release; on my "to buy" list. The guy's voice is interesting and different. It's close to annoying yet it ISN'T and it's completely beautiful and amazing. Funny how two extremes can often be so close to each other.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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Posts: 57 |
Posts: 57
Wow, it seems they're going to play Euroblast this year along with good old Leprous and Italy's biggest surprise Destrage! That festival sure knows how to pick up talents. 
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 Posts: 2311 |
Posts: 2311
Started with the alt category and it seems these guys get my vote so far, sounds great.
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 Posts: 673 |
Posts: 673
This caught my attention in the MS awards along with many others. I'll be certainly having a listen to this one soon.
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Posts: 8654
Went back and gave this another listen. I'm not as enthusiastic as you are - I do think the first couple of songs lack something and his strained voice can be a bit grating at times. However, it's definitely a solid album and from 101 onwards has a really fine run of songs. Playing You is just gorgeous
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Posts: 5289 Written by musclassia on 01.02.2015 at 21:40 Voice takes some getting used to. The other designs on the album outweigh them ten-fold. I've listened to it 10 times now and every replay I discover something different - like the quiet "robot" voices in the background of the chorus during the song '101'. This album amazes me, and this is probably the icing on the cake: (take 9 minutes and watch - I was completely blown away).
---- rekt
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Posts: 8654 Written by tea[m]ster on 01.02.2015 at 23:21 Nice clip, studio videos are always interesting. However, awkward keyboard player bobbing along for half the song cos he's got nothing to play is funny 
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Posts: 5289 Written by musclassia on 02.02.2015 at 00:22 LOL, nice pick up! Someone said on the youtube comments at least he wasn't faking like he was playing like most keyboardist do when they aren't playing, hehe.
---- rekt
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Posts: 257  |
Posts: 257
Great review, this sounds to be right up my alley- checking this out asap!
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