Eyes of Shiva Eyes of Soul
Locomotive Music 2004
By Jason Jordan
I moved in with a sense of apathy on Eyes of Shivas Eyes of Soul. I couldnt figure out the reasoning behind my lack of enthusiasm. Was it the boring artwork? Was it the realization that Id never heard of them before? Or, am I just plain sick of power metal? These thoughts, and others, helped Eyes of Shiva essentially blindside me with their musical ideas. The album is better than I thought itd be.
Essence is an introductory track, and I can vividly imagine James LaBrie (Dream Theater, Mullmuzzler) raucously entering at the 1:18 minute mark with, Friday evening / the blood still on my hands. Nevertheless, Essence is a whimsical look into the group. No silence can be heard betwixt the former track and Eagle of the Sun. Average power metal vox shortly arrive, and traditional keyboards pepper the music. The 2:00 minute mark holds my interest due to the advent of the accordion. Lampiao has a distinct, Hispanic feel to it. Psychos of the New Millennium attempts to be categorized as grandiose, though the try fails; its much better once the soloing begins. Pride is kind of er, sappy. Eyes of Soul sees a return to the odd instrumentation and culmination of many different cultural influences. The heaviest riff in the release can perhaps be found in the former song. Interestingly enough, flutes are juxtaposed with the distortion-heavy, electric guitars. Nice double-bass interjections are locatable here as well. World Tomorrow, Future, Alone, and Just a Miracle compose the last few tracks.
Unsurprisingly, Im not going to endorse Eyes of Shiva. Theres not enough material within Eyes of Soul to warrant more than an unintentional glance.
6.5/10
Official Eyes of Shiva website
Official Locomotive Music website
Locomotive Music 2004
By Jason Jordan
I moved in with a sense of apathy on Eyes of Shivas Eyes of Soul. I couldnt figure out the reasoning behind my lack of enthusiasm. Was it the boring artwork? Was it the realization that Id never heard of them before? Or, am I just plain sick of power metal? These thoughts, and others, helped Eyes of Shiva essentially blindside me with their musical ideas. The album is better than I thought itd be.
Essence is an introductory track, and I can vividly imagine James LaBrie (Dream Theater, Mullmuzzler) raucously entering at the 1:18 minute mark with, Friday evening / the blood still on my hands. Nevertheless, Essence is a whimsical look into the group. No silence can be heard betwixt the former track and Eagle of the Sun. Average power metal vox shortly arrive, and traditional keyboards pepper the music. The 2:00 minute mark holds my interest due to the advent of the accordion. Lampiao has a distinct, Hispanic feel to it. Psychos of the New Millennium attempts to be categorized as grandiose, though the try fails; its much better once the soloing begins. Pride is kind of er, sappy. Eyes of Soul sees a return to the odd instrumentation and culmination of many different cultural influences. The heaviest riff in the release can perhaps be found in the former song. Interestingly enough, flutes are juxtaposed with the distortion-heavy, electric guitars. Nice double-bass interjections are locatable here as well. World Tomorrow, Future, Alone, and Just a Miracle compose the last few tracks.
Unsurprisingly, Im not going to endorse Eyes of Shiva. Theres not enough material within Eyes of Soul to warrant more than an unintentional glance.
6.5/10
Official Eyes of Shiva website
Official Locomotive Music website
