Under Eden
The Savage Circle
6.1
When it’s from Black Lotus Records, you never know what you’re gonna get. It could be worthwhile like the latest albums from Altered Aeon, Nightfall, and Thanatos; it could be horrendous like the most recent excursions by Dark Nova, Das Scheit, and Negative Creeps; or, it might just be average fare with hints of potential. Under Eden, a relatively new signing, fit into the latter category, even though Black Lotus Records are infamous for mining either gold or pyrite, and nothing in between.
The Savage Circle – these Minnesotans’ debut album – can be labeled as thrashy death metal, which unfortunately emanates a lack of polish. However, I do believe that the songwriting chops necessary to craft an orgasm-provoking piece of music are hidden deep within the recesses of their brains. But, Under Eden are still quite far from their intended destination, and The Savage Circle is more than likely going to be confined to half-price bins. “Six Feet Under Eden,” funnily enough, reminds me of Amon Amarth and Crimson Thorn, if we’re contemplating what said bands might hypothetically write instead of how they actually sound. More driving and punchy, conversely, is “Creation Defies Creator,” and overall it seems as if Under Eden felt the need to include every possible musical attribute, they could pull off convincingly, into their debut. Want more evidence? Listen no further than the detestable, clean vocals on “Behind Blind Eyes” and “Veil of Twilight.”
Production is pertinent, in my opinion, so it stands to reason that a holey production bothers me. The Savage Circle’s production values are passable, though they leave much to be desired, as the instrumentation is weaker than I’d prefer. The drums (bass drum specifically) are muddy, but some of you masochists out there may enjoy the earthy, organic tones. I, however, am not particularly moved by the shifty infrastructure that the group has constructed for support.
Reiteration isn’t as necessary as perhaps just stating that Under Eden have their work cut out for them, if they want to usurp their labelmates. And, while this output isn’t half bad, there are still plenty of other CD’s – even distributed by Black Lotus Records – which I’d rather listen to. As the cliché goes: nice try but no cigar.
