The first major release for Ever Eden is the five-song EP, Illumine. This EP was released on May 1st, 2020. It features their two singles released earlier in the year, "Senescence" and "Sacrosanctuary", the latter including Shane and Micah on vocals from metalcore band Oh, Sleeper.
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Illumine (EP) Review| Posted April 30, 2020 What You Need To Know: Ever Eden is a new and upcoming independent metal band with more than 10 years of experience rocking the music industry. Previously known as Ardent, Ever Eden hails from Missouri. They write music that grapples with love, loss, beauty, and hardship. The band's new EP, llumine, has five great metal songs worthy of a listen.
What It Sounds Like: One of their major influences is fellow metalcore band, Oh, Sleeper (this is one of the first bands that come to mind when listening to Ever Eden). Illumine is full of great vocal talent from both Jesse and Josh, while the heavy, engaging musical skills from Elijah and Oldfield are sure to keep your attention. Jesse offers melodic vocals that seamlessly transition into Josh's ferocious screams. The drumming is top notch throughout and the bass satisfyingly fills in everything else. The lyrical style reminds me of the iconic style of Garrett Russell, the vocalist of Silent Planet.
Spiritual Highlights: "Latent World," the EP opener, has slow and melodic verses, showing off Jesse's vocals. The song is written as a dialogue, with the first part of the song's message speaking about wrestling with the temporal nature of souls. The second part reveals God behind the mystery of time: "You can see me/Beyond the atrophy/Inside the mystery." "Senescence," the second song, speaks to a similar theme. It addresses feelings of regret and anxiety. Hope is brought in with the last verse: "My reflection of a life lived in vein/He laid it to rest/Put it to death/Before He stepped out of the grave."
"Delirium," the third song, addresses apathy and hopelessness. The lethalness of such described with "Wake up! It’s in your lungs/Apathetic to the poison you’ve ingested." The Savior reaches to save us, as spoken as "He speaks the words you’d wished you’d said/Say I’m yours/Say you long to be with me forevermore." This is a comforting message to hear. Even when we're in darkness, Jesus is always with us. "Sacrosanctuary," features Oh, Sleeper on vocals. It's a brutally honest song about hypocrisy and deceit that sadly corrupts churches.
The EP closes with "Illumine," the title track. This song echoes "Latent World," with dialogue between us and God. In the middle of our storms in life, we sometimes drift in our relationship with God. Despite this, His light always guides us back to Him: "And though you’re fading and growing dim/My warmth will guide you when you forget/Ever present—simply eclipsed."
Best Song: Their first single released for the EP was "Senescence", which means it was the first song Ever Eden released under their new name. After listening to all five songs, I would say this first one is their best. "Senescence" boasts the impressive musical talent of each band member and captures their distinguishing sound. Their raw and honest songwriting shines on this song which is also illustrated ability on the rest of the EP.
Bottom Line: Illumine shines a light on heavy topics that need the powerful voice that Ever Eden brings. In just five songs, I feel like Ever Eden has spoken to vital mental and spiritual themes in our lives. The production and raw aggression found in Illumine is fantastic, especially when considering they are an independent band. We need more music in this genre that speaks honestly, yet offering hope in the darkness. I'm left wanting much more from Ever Eden after Illumine.
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