Into Eternity

I've been a fan of Into Eternity since I heard their 2006 release, "The Scattering of Ashes". When I first got into them I didn't realize that they had been around for as long as they have. I had been searching for this record for awhile and when I finally got a hold of it I didn't know what to expect. The album's opening track "Torn" begins with an ominous sound clip that almost sounds like something out of a horror film but then cuts into a guitar tapping intro certain to make a guitarist's jaw drop. The album picked up right from the start and didn't let up for the rest of the way through.

This record has a great balance between a melodic death metal sound with a mix of progressive and symphonic metal thrown in as well. A great bit of keyboards are used throughout the album but they are mixed just right to where it doesn't become completely symphonic. While it isn't as aggressive as Into Eternity's later albums it is still very creative and dynamic. The only thing that really bugged me about this one was the production. At times certain instruments would become either louder or quieter and the vocals had a phaser effect on them at certain times that could get somewhat annoying. However even with the cheaper production it still doesn't make the album any less enjoyable.

Into Eternity mastermind Tim Roth does a great job on the vocals and puts me in the mind of Chris Krall (who did lead vocals on the band's 2004 release Buried in Oblivion) but still has his own approach. The screams are mainly shrieked and very piercing but compliment the music well. The acoustic tracks on this record are very impressive and there is also a good bit of lead work on the album too. A good example of Tim Roth's soloing skills being on the track "The Modern Day". The song was inspired by the 1994 film Pulp Fiction and even features a clip of a conversation between Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames from the movie. Lyrically this album is pretty much like the rest of Into Eternity's music. The topics are very deep and focus on more personal darkness and struggles and I have yet to find a song with dull lyrics from these guys. Tim Roth is a very intelligent lyricist and musician and it really shines through in this album.

What makes it so enjoyable for me is that it clocks in just over 40-minutes and goes by at a very good pace. Some records are a chore to sit through all the way but not this one. Highlights from the album are Torn, The Modern Day, A Frozen Escape, and Holding Onto Emptiness. Check it out if you are a fan of Into Eternity's other records. It differs in a few ways from the bands later sound but still keeps the melody and depth that Into Eternity is known for. I would have given it 100% because I find it to be a genius record and a solid debut but the production brought it down only by a slim margin.

This is their little-know self-titled debut. It was released independently in 1999, and then Dutch label DVS Records picked it up, the band added a bonus track, and re-released it (with brand new cover art, as well), marking on of the label’s first ever releases. Man, did this little label start something special with this band!

Something that probably should be pointed out: I bought the album from DVS Records online, and they sent me the original, independent release.

This album starts out with a pretty dark, spooky, and majestic sample before properly kicking off. The album starts out with just a simple drum groove that then morphs into a progressive metal groove. It is at this point that the recording quality becomes very clear. This obviously has origins as a demo, for the recording is very muddy and nothing much is very clear.

However, that’s not to say that the music contained within is very good. There are even some keyboard washes throughout the album, which are really not to be found on later albums. I don’t know the reasoning behind this, and quite frankly I don’t care much.

The signature vocal styling that Into Eternity would become known for is immediately prevalent on this album, as you often hear growls on top of clean singing, which makes for a very interesting combination. The hooks that also pepper many of the later Into Eternity albums are also there.

One thing that this album doesn’t have that “Dead Or Dreaming” did is the metalcore feel. This is pure progressive metal, with a little bit of death metal influences. I think that the metalcore feel was an influence from the DVS as they released that album before Century Media signed them. Of course, this album is still more straightforward than, say, “Burned In Oblivion”. The time signature changes really there. However, the guitarists do play some solos and show some ability here; ability that only gets better with time.

All in all, if you can get your hands on this album, do it. The production may not be nearly as crisp as the later albums. However, the music is definitely there. This is a very impressive debut for a band that would go on to do some great things in later albums, and probably still has some great things ahead of them! This is also a unique album in the sense of the addition of keyboards that really aren’t there on later albums.