Author Topic: The official Aeon Zen thread  (Read 8368 times)

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Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #35 on: January 30, 2013, 07:55:08 AM »
I will check this out, but as a general rule, I hate albums with a bunch of different singers, and 3-5% growls is 3-5% too much.


I don't mind a growl here and a growl there.  And that's basically what happens here.  It's used very, very infrequently and even when it is used it's extremely brief.


I'm totally with you on the growling.  For the most part, I can't stand it.  And I avoid albums that feature it. 


As for the bunch of different singers, I think it's done well on this Aeon Zen material.  It's not too distracting.

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #36 on: January 30, 2013, 07:58:56 AM »
It's something I particularly like.. In fact I love all kinds of variation and yes works brilliantly here...

Would love to hear what you think after you give it a few listens TAC ...

Offline jingle.boy

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #37 on: March 22, 2013, 10:52:44 AM »
Hot damn I love www.progstreaming.com.  Enigma is streaming there right now (and on my laptop right now)
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Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #38 on: March 22, 2013, 11:30:54 AM »
You're one lucky man! Enigma is still my fave of 2013... an early contender for the best album of the year actually...

Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #39 on: March 22, 2013, 01:59:26 PM »
The album grew on me.  When I got it, other albums were in the same order and it initially was beat out by those other albums.  It's come on strong as of late, and it's really catchy.  The fifth track always grabs my attention.
     

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #40 on: March 22, 2013, 02:15:50 PM »
Warning is sick... seriously... Andi is doing a surreal job in the delivery of the chorus!!!!!
It's mental...

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Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #41 on: March 24, 2013, 06:45:09 AM »
Hot damn I love www.progstreaming.com.  Enigma is streaming there right now (and on my laptop right now)

Glad to see the album is spreading, the more the merrier! It's also on Spotify, if anyone fancies listening there too  :tup

/shameless self-plug

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #42 on: March 24, 2013, 01:40:23 PM »
aww Rich Hinks sighting!

Online lonestar

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #43 on: March 24, 2013, 04:07:58 PM »
:dangerwillrobinson:

Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #44 on: March 24, 2013, 07:58:03 PM »
 :eek

Online Ben_Jamin

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #45 on: March 24, 2013, 08:26:25 PM »
Just randomly decided to check out this thread, and clicked the link in the OP...

WOW!!!!

I didn't expect what I heard but Instantly loved it. It takes a lot of what I love in Metal and combined it. I'm going to stream the album now as it's a concept according to Richzen, and I'm a sucker for concepts, especially with different singers and musicians.
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Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #46 on: March 25, 2013, 02:10:38 AM »
Review of Enigma by Conor Fynes

Quote
In 2009, a band called Aeon Zen came out with “A Mind’s Portrait”, an album that, while rooted in what detractors may call ‘Dream Theater clone territory’- was impressive enough to put them on the radar for those who heard it. Alongside bands like Haken and To-Mera, Aeon Zen are at the forefront of a British wave to revitalize the progressive metal style into something fresh, exciting and relevant. In what is undoubtedly the band’s most consistent work to date, “Enigma” lives up to the promise of their debut. Although they have not yet broken free from the shackles of the progressive metal old guard, Aeon Zen’s fantastic blend of musicianship and composition sees them flying leagues above much of what the genre has recently produced. Progressive metallers take note- this is one of the most impressive albums bound to come out this year.

Aeon Zen are part of what I might call (without wanting to sound too clichéd or the least bit pretentious) part of the New Wave of British Progressive Metal. If you’ve heard the way Haken or Threshold seamlessly blend melody with technical flair, Aeon Zen aren’t too far off. Led by multi-instrumentalist Rich Hinks, Aeon Zen are a firm indicator of where the scene is at. The infamously overused conventions of Dream Theater have their place in Aeon Zen’s sound, but there is a great attention paid to what’s been happening since then. If you look past the breathtaking musical flow, melodies and spacious production, the band’s capacity to mix so many sounds together may be their most impressive trait. “Enter the Enigma” is a very fitting overture for the album, seamlessly flowing from the rhythmic pulse of ‘djent’, to symphonic metal and progressive synth arrangements. From there on, the album flows as would a single forty-five minute epic. Although the Kamelot-esque “Artificial Soul” and single-worthy “Divinity” both function quite well on their own as self-contained pieces, “Enigma” is graced with a number of pleasantly recurring themes and a near-perfect sense of flow.

Aeon Zen also take care to acknowledge the more extreme side of metal that has played such an important role in prog in recent years. When “Divinity” isn’t conjuring the cinematic quality of symphonic metal, it is basking in technical death metal territory, although the growls come and ago fairly quickly, so as not to put off the less-acclimated listeners. The album’s most triumphant moment comes with “Warning”, a slow build up that gives a not- so-subtle nod to the style of a Mr. Devin Townsend. Complete with wall-of-sound production and a soaring lead melody, it’s difficult not to think of Townsend’s “Terria” or “Synchestra” when hearing it. These nods to the styles of other bands certainly don’t end with that either. “Divinity” features a chug and pick slide straight out of the Gojira canon, and there’s a guitar solo on the album that I could swear I’ve heard to some extent before on a Blind Guardian album. Add in some overt Between the Buried and Me influences, and you have a a molten pot of progressive metal with something to offer to virtually every fan of the genre. Most times, I would accuse a band so closely emulating the styles of others of unoriginality at best (or plagiarism at worst), but in the case of Aeon Zen, the way all of these different sounds come together is something in itself. While they may not win any prizes for uniqueness with “Enigma”, the composition is what gives the album wings. I would have had doubts if I had heard so many sounds within prog metal could come together into something half-decent. In Aeon Zen’s case, they’ve gone much farther; although the year is young, I’m not sure 2013 will produce another album with such a solid flow.

Lyrically, Aeon Zen do not excel nearly as much as they do on the musical end. Although there is the vague impression of a concept tying the record together, “Enigma” follows a tired trend of modern progressive albums aiming for a more abstract sense of narrative. Although this ‘idea-over-action’ style of revealing a concept may have worked well for To- Mera last year on “Exile”, Aeon Zen do not have the same such luck. Simply said, the lyrics on “Enigma” do not feel particularly relevant, instead feeding off of the genre’s ‘thinking man’ clichés. Fortunately, the vocal standard is held to an incredibly high standard throughout the album. Andi Kravljaca is one of the modern progressive metal scene’s most impressive singers, and the inclusion of other singers (most notably Atte Pettersen of Above Symmetry and Rich himself) gives the album a greater vocal range, although none of them sound wildly different from one another. In the end however, Aeon Zen is a band all about the guitar, and reverence of the progressive riff. Despite his youth, Rich Hinks is a monster with the guitar. Contrary to many youngblood virtuosos, Rich’s talent with the instrument is multi- faceted; although he is very likely to impress you with his burstfire lead playing, he is just as skilled with the rhythms, and mellower end of his playing. The musicianship is excellent throughout, with Steve Burton’s dynamic drumwork standing out alongside Rich for his richly dramatic performance.

In short, “Enigma” is a satisfying progressive metal epic that trims off alot of its genre’s fat without losing any of the magic. Really, it was the sense of bombast-for-bombast’s-sake that had prog metal floating in rough water for some time. Although Aeon Zen are still well- rooted in the sounds of many of the more innovative prog metal acts, it’s rare that I get such a satisfying impression from an album. Originality regardless, “Enigma” is a near-perfect mesh of thoughtful riffs, dynamic musicianship and conscious homages to their influences. Especially considering the band’s relative youth, I think we can only expect greater things from them in the future.


Rich Hinks, you're one of a kind  :lol

Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #47 on: March 25, 2013, 02:22:33 PM »
I didn't expect what I heard but Instantly loved it. It takes a lot of what I love in Metal and combined it. I'm going to stream the album now as it's a concept according to Richzen, and I'm a sucker for concepts, especially with different singers and musicians.

That's really awesome, thanks Ben!

If anyone knows about the concept, I'd hope it would be me  :lol

Offline Big Hath

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #48 on: March 25, 2013, 03:13:11 PM »
the album is really great.  Awesome musicianship.

My only complaint (and this is with the physical CD) is that there is about 1.5 seconds of silence between the tracks when the songs clearly should join together.
Winger would be better!

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Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #49 on: March 25, 2013, 04:13:06 PM »
Yeah, unfortunately the record label screwed up the CD authoring on the current batch... That was a fun discovery, I'll tell you...

Offline Zook

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #50 on: March 25, 2013, 04:20:21 PM »
That sucks. Are they going to reimburse those who bought the first editions?

Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #51 on: March 25, 2013, 04:33:29 PM »
I believe they'll send out a replacement if you get in touch with them about it, so at least there's a workaround. Or we have copies without the misprint if it's bought from the band's website (seeing as we're in the UK, and they're in the US). So it could be worse.

Offline Big Hath

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #52 on: March 25, 2013, 05:07:11 PM »
Yeah, unfortunately the record label screwed up the CD authoring on the current batch... That was a fun discovery, I'll tell you...

I'll bet.  Would be pissed if I put my heart and soul into something like you clearly have only to have someone else make a bonehead mistake like that.

Thanks, for the info.  I'll give the label a shout to see what they can do.  Although, I was able to take out the silence pretty well on my own using a wav editing tool.
Winger would be better!

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Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #53 on: March 25, 2013, 06:26:44 PM »
They're a good label, just a bit of a slip I guess. But hey ho, c'est la vie! Think of it as garnering some controversy  :lol

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #54 on: March 30, 2013, 03:36:43 AM »
Rich Hinks playing and talking about his fave guitar & bass riffs off Enigma.. Nice watch!!!

I agree with his selection of riffs, except.. his 4th ranking guitar riff would be my 2nd.. as 'Warning' keeps blowing me away with its every single riff, the awe-inspiring keyboard solo towards the end and the fantastic chorus, which is masterfully delivered by the frontman of Silent Call, Andi Kravljaca...


PS. Silent Call's new album is being mixed & mastered at the moment, too.. at Zen Chapel Studios, by Hinks himself.. you want to be on the lookout for that one too!

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #55 on: April 26, 2013, 01:39:46 PM »
Rich Hinks posted this after he recorded a new guitar solo ..  :laugh:


Offline Big Hath

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #56 on: April 26, 2013, 01:40:43 PM »
Rich Hinks phone home.
Winger would be better!

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #57 on: April 26, 2013, 01:41:45 PM »
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #58 on: April 26, 2013, 01:46:38 PM »
holy lol  :rollin :rollin :rollin

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #59 on: April 26, 2013, 02:04:39 PM »
 :rollin

I love you DTF :heart

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #60 on: July 10, 2013, 12:52:48 AM »
Quote
Aeon Zen have released a FREE DOWNLOAD of their entire live performance of their new album "Enigma" and other tracks.

The show was professionally recorded, mixed & mastered.

To get your FREE DOWNLOAD of the entire Aeon Zen show, simply go to this link: www.aeonzen.com/enigmalive


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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #61 on: July 10, 2013, 12:55:18 AM »
 :rollin





The live Enigma is tight as hell :metal

Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #62 on: July 10, 2013, 08:53:44 AM »
Hope y'all like freebies!  :P

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #63 on: July 10, 2013, 09:47:04 AM »

Offline richzen

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #64 on: July 11, 2013, 04:49:51 AM »
Even better  :tup

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #65 on: July 11, 2013, 05:13:48 AM »

Offline The Trooper

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #66 on: July 13, 2013, 08:14:58 AM »
Enigma has been a grower on me since it was released. So far in my top 5 for 2013.

Offline Woodworker1

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #67 on: July 13, 2013, 08:05:54 PM »
Thanks for bringing this band to our attention; I'm loving it.  The guitar work is outstanding: dynamic, complex, melodic while still heavy.

Offline obscure

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #68 on: July 14, 2013, 09:57:28 AM »
Entirely a pleasure woodworker.... nothing like sharing your fave tunes with other music lovers....

Offline Woodworker1

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Re: The official Aeon Zen thread
« Reply #69 on: July 21, 2013, 05:55:31 PM »
I received the CD in the mail today and put in on while I was working in the shop.  I had to stop working and sit down and really listen to; it is that good. 
My impressions:

1)  The vocal melodies really stand out.  I am one that usually doesn't like multiple vocalists, but this album is the exception.  Attle Petersen stood out; he has this raw element in his voice that somehow combines with his beautiful melodies that works really well (particularly in "Downfall).  I know Jonny Tatum from Eumeria, he is one of my favorite vocalists and he doesn't disappoint on this album.

2)  "Still Human", the seventh track blew me away.  The complexity of this song is amazing.  I love songs with many changes and this track is really dynamic.  The changes are drastic but the song still works well as a whole.

3)  As I stated earlier, the guitar work is outstanding.  My only criticism is that I want more of it!  The riffs are so good that I want to hear more of them without the vocals.