Eyes See Red
Beyond the Realm of Sanity
6.5
Hailing from Switzerland, Eyes See Red play a thrashy brand of death metal that is chock full of little idiosyncrasies that have thus far made for a few enjoyable listens. Starting in the early 90’s as a straight ahead metalcore act, the band has since evolved into what they are today, which is…well, it’s hard to say. There are considerable amounts of both death and thrash metal on Beyond the Realm of Sanity. However, to tag Eyes See Red with either of those titles would be slightly misleading, as the band doesn’t appear to adhere too strictly to any particular genre codes when banging out material.
If forced to describe this album in one word, I would go with “fun." No, not fun in a “let’s throw this on at the office mixer” way. It’s more like a, “let’s down a thirty-rack of Busch Light and see if we can’t get grandma’s dog high,” kind of fun. It’s not pretentious and doesn’t get hung up on the typical clichés of being exceptionally brutal or extreme. This sounds more like three guys going into a studio, playing some heavy material and having a damn good time in the process. I’m at a loss for comparisons. In a scene where there exists so many imitators, it’s hard to peg down a band whose playing is so uninhibited. There are times where the band gallops forward with the intensity of a young Iced Earth, and others where I am distinctly reminded of the intensity of revered Boston metalcore legends Overcast. Guitar player Mathias seems to have more than a few clever tricks of up his sleeve and unleashes a good deal of his arsenal onto this record. The band’s reckless abandon, however, does work as a bit of a double edged sword. The off time harmonic fills on “Sacrificial” work very well, whereas the jazzy breakdown at the :35 mark of “Borderline” falls slightly flat. Regardless of whether or not the band’s eccentricities always work for me, I sincerely applaud their consistent dismissal of the status quo on this album.
Production-wise, Eyes See Red more or less suffers from the same setbacks as your average unsigned metal act. The mix sounds a bit off at times, resulting in a slightly buried bass guitar or overbearing crash symbol. However, what Eyes See Red lacks in terms of the advantages afforded by a larger budget, they more than make up for with passionate performances and a live sound that is rather fitting for this kind of music.
Eyes See Red isn’t going to set the world on fire with Beyond the Realm of Sanity. It’s an enjoyable album, and the talent is there, however at this point it may be a little too raw for a majority of metal fans. However, if I were a record label I would take notice. Given a proper budget, this band might be able to pull off something pretty special. And, if you want to get in on the ground floor, then check out Beyond the Realm of Sanity. I can at least guarantee you’ll have a fun time.
