Lethargic Metal
There's a fine line between epic, self indulgence and long winded. Many bands dabble with the so called epic genre, Tool, Dream Theater, Opeth to name a few, with mixed results. Make your epic too drawn out and it becomes plodding and lifeless, put too much in and it arguably becomes a little too self indulgent. Australia-based metallers Eyefear can sadly be lumped in with the former of those two options. Their third album 'A World Full Of Grey' is progressive/power metal experience that does little to excite or impress, instead existing just for the sake of it.
The influences are here for all to hear, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Fates Warning, but instead of stealing from the best Eyefear only borrow, and although they don't exactly sound like any of the above bands, they haven't really carved out their own niche or identity. They're in Metal's no-man's-land trying very hard to get out but the quality of ideas keep them rooted to the spot. Imagine an album that after one song you're shrugging your shoulders thinking it doesn't sound very special. After four tracks you're still shrugging your shoulders waiting for it to get going, and by track eight you're off to make a cup of tea. 'A World Full Of Grey' is an album you can spin and have as background music to other activities. This is what I mean by metal's no-man's-land, music that can get lost in the background even though it's blaring out of the speakers.
The seven minute epic 'Searching For Forgiveness' plods on as an opener with out injecting any sort of attitude or pace. Not every album has to rip the flesh from your bones from the outset however, but the start should be attention grabbing (e.g Coheed and Cambria). Unfortunately this sets the tone for the whole album and it's track four, 'Lost Within' before the disc moves from plod to upbeat. The production doesn't really help matters either. It's very tidy but the guitars are far too quiet and when they attempt to chug, as they do in 'Haunted Memories', they come across as the type of guitar production the rock pretenders McFly would have. The keyboards dominate the musical mix and vocalist Danny Cecati drowns everything in his vocal path.
From a song-writing point of view, Eyefear lack the exciting time changes, interludes and natural expression of the likes of Dream Theater, or the hooks and melodies of Queensryche. Danny Cecati has a wonderful voice with echos of Bruce Dickinson at times, however his vocal lines are of a similar ilk. He sings the line quickly and holds the last note and then holds it some more, a little like Circle II Circle's Zak Stevens in some respects. It shows off his voice but gets irritating very quickly and makes all the melodies sound the same.
'Breathe Again' is perhaps the most exciting song on offer because the music is a little more intricate and, as a consequence, more interesting. Whereas you get some bands that put too many ideas into their music, here we have a band with, dare I say it, not enough. The musicianship is solid and there are some nice touches of piano as well as some natty guitar soloing, but I think a little more creativity in the song-writing department would have helped immensely. 'A World Full Of Grey' is melodic, easy to listen to and in-offensive, so if that's the sort of metal that doubles your pulse then by all means check it out.