Flight of Eden are a four-piece metal band originating from Reading who blend progressive influences with a crushing modern metal sound. They self-released their debut EP Transitions last summer and kickstarted 2019 with a headline show in their hometown of Reading earlier this month. The band consists of Simon Robins (guitars / synth /production), Kurt Jones (vocals), Gualter Couto (drums) and Christian Sturgess (bass / synth) who you may recognise from Brutai. Below are my thoughts on the Transitions EP, but I strongly advise you to check it out for yourself – it can be streamed and ed for free on bandcamp.
For me Transitions is a great debut EP, providing a taste of what is to come from Flight of Eden. Sonically the EP is well-balanced and complex, and the mixture of both clean and harsh vocals works really well with the progressive / technical sound. The addition of electronic elements, together with irregular time signatures also adds richness to the tracks. One of the things I really like about this EP is that you can hear each instrument, particularly the drums which sometimes get lost in the mix. “In Absentia” features an unapologetically heavy breakdown that I can only imagine would be goddamn brutal live!
The beginning of final track “Requiem” has a slightly different feel from the other three for me, yet it sits happily beside them. It really showcases Kurt’s vocal abilities as he transitions from soaring high notes to deep visceral growls. At 7:27 it takes you on a sonic journey and was a good choice for the final track of the EP – it certainly left me wanting to hear more from this band.
Based on this EP, Flight of Eden sound like they would be an awesome band to watch perform – full of ion and energy as well as satisfyingly mixing heavy, prog and technical elements with belting vocals. Next month they head out on a UK mini tour with A Titan A Deity – check out their Facebook page for all the info. I would thoroughly recommend checking them out live if the quality of their EP is anything to go by!
Tracklisting:
- The Machine
- In Absentia
- Enlightened
- Requiem
