Edge of Paradise – Mask (2011)

Delivering one of the most diverse, chaotic, and yet very interesting albums we have received this year, today we have Edge of Paradise and their debut full-length “Mask”. In this release the band features influences from anywhere between Industrial, Heavy Metal, Gothic Metal, Shred Metal and tons of things in between. If you are not confused by now, then you can’t really be prepared to open the bag full of surprises that “Mask” is.

Opening with some dub step/Static X intro, “Falling Down” delivers the first punch in a 9 track rollercoaster ride through almost all genres of Metal. This opening track does a great job to set the stage for a very weird and diverse release that is very catchy and strongly lead by the band’s charismatic vocalist: Margarita Monet. Her vocals are quite unique in Metal since she is all over the place and has a lot of raw power behind her. “Tall of the gun” steers you into a different direction with a more Modern/commercial Metal with very heavy guitars.

“Mask” delivers more catchiness in the shape of powerful riffing and a very groovy edge to things. So far, the first three songs are very unique and no idea seems to be repeated, very refreshing considering that most of the new albums these days are just a re-hash of 2 songs. “We Breathe” features a more melancholic edge with a powerful bass guitar line and some nice atmospheric keyboards. The different singing styles and vocal layers are pretty interesting and keep things diverse and fresh.

Our favorite track is “Thrown it all Away” and its super catchy chorus section and the crazy guitar work near the end of it. With Southern Rock flair, “Walk the Line” keeps things fresh with yet another different styled song that nicely culminates with some more guitar wizardry.  The guitar shredding comes with the aptly titled “Shredenstein” song that reminded us of a typical shredding song but with a little progressive edge to it. For some weirdness, “I come in Peace” will surely catch you off-guard.

Closing with “Where’s the Fire”, the band leaves on a very Heavy Metal note with some shred influences. While the rest of the album was quite strong, we feel that the last three songs are just fillers to complete the running time of a full-length release. They don’t take away from the greatness of the first 6 tracks, but they do feel a bit slapped together in order to roundup “Mask”.

While the band’s sound is very innovative and quite refreshing, the album left us a bit unsatisfied with the filler songs near the end. We love how the music changes between each song and how everything comes together with the characteristic vocals of Margarita, but the last few tracks felt completely out of place. If you are looking for an intense musical experience, “Mask” is a very effective release indeed. We can only expect the band grows a bit more musically and the next time they deliver a complete release that feels well rounded up and not disconnected.

Release: Melodic Heavy Metal/Rock

Country: USA