Album: East Of Eden

Label: Independent

Link: http://www.myspace.com/todesfaust

Band Members: Roanoz – Drums & Clean Vocals, Murezor – Vocals & Bass, Azaroth – Guitar & Synthesizer

Todesfaust’s “East Of Eden” is a pleasure to listen to. Majestic rhythms in the style of Summoning allow the listener to drift away into a fantastic ancient world. This is the kind of extreme music that will make the one feel connected to the band. The wonderful thing is that the songs are quite diverse so the journey will never get stale. The first track is an eerie intro, which sets up the rest of the album nicely. By the end of the album, the listener has experienced nostalgic synth passages, crushing doom, folky acoustic guitar, gothic depression, prog-like pretentiousness, razor sharp thrash, and the voice of a truly tortured soul. Murezor’s voice has a very raw edge to it (think of Gehenna). Most of the album is quite saturated with epic-sounding synthesizers, which is not a vice by any stretch of the mind. They are so convincing that Todesfaust might as well be backed by a full orchestra. The guitar tone is very much without treble, which I think works nicely because it gives great focus on other melodies and vocals. The bass drum is a soft thud, which also works nicely because it helps induce a trancelike state without having to use too many blast beats. Underneath the surface, “East Of Eden” is really a humble avant-garde work, disguised by memorable and at times, catchy riffs. Although short because it is only a demo, it is still a grand magical quest, the kind of thing to listen to in solitude at night or on a rainy day. I would recommend this to people who enjoy Summoning, Moonsorrow, Amorphis, Immortal, Graveworm, Gehenna, Rhapsody, Aquaria, Falkenbach, and Mystic Circle.

Track Listing:

1) East Of Eden

2) Birth Of The Evil One

3) Tales Of The Old Kingdom

4) Dark Rites Of The Mystic Order

5) Relinquishment Of My Former God

6) Feast Upon Golgotha