IMAGES OF EDEN – Rebuilding The Ruins

Images of Eden is a band traditionally labeled as Progressive Metal; however, you could easily label Images Of Eden as their own subgenre. This is a band that does not follow the coattails of anyone else. They forge their own path and have been able to create a very unique Metal sound, which cannot be imitated.

Rebuilding The Ruins is the band’s third release. Lead by the incomparable vocalist Gordon Tittsworth, fresh off the 2010 release of his other project Dread The Forsaken, this album is by far their best release yet. The album as a whole has a very dark undertone. The songs are not uplifting by any means and the lyrics typically discuss gloomy subject matter. Most of the songs are long and intricate. The album is somewhat reminiscent of one of those classic Rush albums from the 70’s that you probably loved, but your girlfriend couldn’t stand listening to it.

That being said, this album is extremely compelling, to say the least. Tittsworth’s portrays his forceful and passionate vocal style throughout the entire album. His Geddy Lee style of singing (another Rush comparison!) is a source of power on each track. He is able to easily bring out the emotion of each song with every note he sings.

The other key ingredient to Rebuilding The Ruins is the brooding guitar talents of Dennis Mullin. He is able to produce some very heavy, menacing riffs that not only bring out the album’s darker tones, but he is also able to shred through some very amazing solos. He may not be the most technically gifted guitarist in the world, but he definitely has what it takes to build a mighty and ominous sound.

Materially, Rebuilding The Ruins is a full 74 minutes, and 11 tracks. One of the more outstanding songs featured is “My Stigmata.” This song is basically divided into two parts:  the first containing a heavy, Power Metal riff, and a rough vocal style. The song then segues into a melancholy, passionate, and inspirational ballad. “My Stigmata” is a perfect example of the complex song structure germane to only Images Of Eden. Another track of note is the opening song “Crosses In The Sand”, which is a very influential and politically-charged song about abortion. This is another heavy, guitar-driven track with some amazing riffs and solos, and turns out to be extremely inspiring both lyrically and musically.

Even though the album may be tough to swallow for some based on all the complexities within the songs and hard-to-follow lyrics, Rebuilding The Ruins deserves allocades for all those reasons as well. There aren’t many bands today that can pull off such a deep and profound project, and still produce great Metal. This is one of those albums you have to listen to several times before you completely get it, and the best part is it just gets better with each listen.

Also check out this review of their previous release:  Sunlight Of The Spirit (2006)