EXIT EDEN – Rhapsodies In Black

If all the beautiful voices truly exited Eden, would it cease to be a paradise on earth? Rhapsodies In Black, the debut album from Exit Eden, has an interesting concept—eleven Pop cover songs given a Symphonic Metal makeover, with four distinct yet harmonious voices at the core.

The opening cut, a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Question Of Time”, is a promising beginning, with singers Amanda Somerville, Anna Brunner, Marina La Torraca, and Clementine Delauney lending more vocal heft and bombast to the soaring chorus. The next track, Rhianna’s “Unfaithful”, provides an excellent vehicle for the quartet of voices. By track three, listeners are likely to realize that these voices could make almost any material sound good. But also by track three, listeners are likely to begin wondering if the world needs Symphonic Metal versions of Katy Perry’s “Firework”, the Backstreet Boys’ “Incomplete”, or Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse”, no matter how impressive the vocals are.

The renditions are mostly faithful, without tempo changes, and so the listeners experience is going to reflect their experience of the original songs. That is, if you liked the originals, you will love these covers, and if you hated them, these versions are unlikely to change your opinions. It isn’t like when Anthrax covered Joe Jackson’s “Got The Time” or when Arthemis covered many of the same artists featured on Rhapsodies In Black (their version of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” is far superior) where the results were completely new songs. On Rhapsodies In Black the songs remain pretty much the same—but with incredible vocals and some metallic flourishes, so if a Symphonic Metal version of Katy Perry’s “Firework” sounds appealing, buy this album.

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