PERSUADER – When Eden Burns

Persuader impressed a lot of people with their 2004 debut, Evolution Purgatory, which was a no-frills, double-barrelled blast of European-style Heavy Metal. It wasn’t fancy, but it was loud and proud, and a good listen.

After that album came out, Jens Carlsson (vocals) and Emil Nordberg (guitars) would co-write and record the Savage Circus album Dreamland Manor, a collaboration with super-producer Piet Sielck and Thomen Stauch. That album also met with acclaim from listeners and critics.

Persuader returns now with When Eden Burns, their 10-song follow-up to Evolution Purgatory. This album closely follows in the footsteps of the band’s debut disc: “traditional” European Heavy Metal, with lots of forceful (and at times Thrashy) riffing, powerful drums, racing rhythms, and soaring, rough-edged vocals. A few tracks use keyboards and electronic instruments to good effect.

When Eden Burns starts with a bang, with the fast-moving opener “Twisted Eyes,” and doesn’t stop to catch a breath until the fade-out of the last track, “Enter Reality.” The closest the band comes to taking their foot off the gas is with the instrumental tune “Zion,” which comes near the end of the album. Persuader grabs the listener and batters them about the ears with forceful Heavy Metal for the duration of When Eden Burns‘ running time.

This no-holds-barred approach may wear some people out, but if you like your Metal loud, fast, and in-your-face at all times, you’ll probably like When Eden Burns a lot. The songs pack a melodic punch, and with their anthemic refrains, big choruses, chugging riffs, and quality solos, you’ll probably be singing right along with them. Persuader doesn’t have time for tender power ballads or sweeping orchestral passages; they came here to rock … hard. And rock hard is just what they do on this album.

Musically, Persuader delivers with When Eden Burns: the musicianship and production is solid, and the vocals of Carlsson are very good, although he has one of those voices that takes some getting used to at first. While his pipes are raggedly powerful, Carlsson sings in a very forceful manner (even tossing in some Death-style growls here and there) on nearly every song. He’s not a subtle vocalist by any means, but then again Persuader’s not a subtle band. Still, Carlsson fits the band well and gives it some personality.

The Japanese version of When Eden Burns features a bonus track, “Alight The Heavens.”

When Eden Burns is a very solid album from Persuader, and is recommended for fans of aggressive European Heavy Metal.