Buried in Oblivion

This review was originally written for http://www.MetalNeverLies.com

It's progressive, it's melodic, it's death metal, it's great. Buried in Oblivion (2004) is a lot of good things put together into one impressive slab of metal. If you're planning on only listening to one CD from Into Eternity, make sure you listen to this one because it is (in my opinion) their best effort.

The band doesn't waste any time as the album begins to play into “Splintered Visions.” You'll hear a nice display of tweedly tweedlies that lead right into a powerful main riff. You are then greeted by a clean vocal verse, and you don't actually get to hear any Death Metal until about a minute into the first track. That's okay, because this kind of Death Metal is worth waiting for, as it is a refreshing change of pace from most melodeath nowadays. Into Eternity's unique take on extreme metal definitely makes “Splintered Visions” an interesting listen, as well as the rest of the album. One interesting thing about this CD is that each band member contributes to the vocals. No lie, there are actually five vocalists for this release, and I assure you that because of this, the vocal sections never get repetitious. The drumming is tight and has a really progressive feel to it. The guitars have two modes on this CD: 'Tweedly tweedly' solo mode and 'Chuggy chuggy' riff mode. Sometimes, the band interchanges these two modes and this makes for a really entertaining listen if you like to focus on guitars. “Beginning of the End” is the fourth track, and it is my second favorite on the CD. I just love the beginning most of all, and the guitar solo is pretty cool even though it isn't the coolest guitar solo on the CD- that spot belongs to the one in “Isolation.”

For the most part, this CD is just progressive death metal and more progressive death metal. It sounds good, but sometimes it starts to blend together. This is just a minor problem, and it usually doesn't interfere with the enjoying music process. The title track changes pace quite drastically, but it's nice and fits well with the overall feeling of the album, and it's a great intro song for the epic track, “Black Sea of Agony.” This track is awesome because it has a nice build up, a cool main riff, and it's fun to sing along to. The band really did a great job on this song, but I still like “Beginning of the End” and “Isolation” better. After about 40 minutes of some pretty proggy Death Metal, the band wraps things up with “Morose Seclusion.” Some people like this track, but I think it doesn't really serve a purpose because the ending of “Black Sea of Agony” could have ended the album just fine. It's a pretty cool song though, I just think it serves mostly as filler.

I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes progressive or melodeath. Buried in Oblivion (2004) is has a refreshing sound, and the musical approach taken by the band will entertain you at the very least. If you're looking to get into Into Eternity, this album is a great place to start, and it really shows the band's potential to make interesting and enjoyable metal.

Since the revolutionary 'Black Sabbath' in 1970, Metal has undergone quite the large amount of expansion. First it was the harder, heavier thrash, then the flashier, catchier glam, then the denser, more sophisticated prog. Nowadays, abound with seemingly hundreds of subgenres, it's almost impossible to keep track of everything happening to the kernel Metal sound. One band who like to mix Metal's vast subgenres is Canada's Into Eternity. Mixing death, power and progressive metal elements, Buried In Oblivion is their third album, which despite being very unique, is a monolithic mass of wasted potential.

The songs on Buried In Oblivion generally follow verse-chorus formula, with the verses having the harsh characteristics of death Metal and the choruses having the melodic characteristics of power Metal, while the two occasionally cross over. No songs are genuinely progressive (although 'Black Sea of Agony' comes close), but there are progressive touches throughout; technical guitar work for example. While the song structures remain clear enough, it's the jumbled individual aspects of the band which really render this album helpless.

It's clear guitarists Tim Roth and Rob Doherty are talented, but the guitar work on this album is vastly sub-par. The production gives the guitars a thin, feeble sound, making the 'death Metal' (heavy) parts of this album not work like they should. Also the 'heavy' riffs aren't actually very heavy (excluding a few instances); a prime example of this is the verses of 'Embraced By Desolation'. The solos on the other hand are very disappointing: I'm a sucker for shredding, but on this album it lacks any sense of direction, climax or even melody - we're talking Slayer style here. They often go on for way too long (20 seconds is bad enough, but many extend 40); in fact the only solo that doesn't overstay its welcome is the one in 'Three Dimensional Aperture', which is pretty nifty - the only cohesive solo on the album.

The rhythm section is hit and miss. The bass pretty much epitomises this album's severe lack of direction: when it's audible, it plays very lush, technical grooves, but they don't fit in at all with the riffs or drum patterns at hand. That's not the biggest problem though - it's only audible about a third of the time, meaning it comes in for these random grooves, then just retreats back to being buried in the mix. Just...pointless. The drums are very complex, but essentially unmemorable. While the double bass, blast beats and speedy fills are executed very well, they're thrown around at complete random, leaving the foundation of the album very thin (see the final chorus of 'Point Of Uncertainty where the blast beats make the already thin chorus have NO foundation at all - it becomes background noise). There is definitely some creativity (see the sweet ride/hi-hat swapping in 'Spiralling Into Depression'), but the drumming is overall pretty poor, and the kit's thin tinny sound and overly loud hi-hat doesn't help.

In a unique arrangement, all five members of the band contribute vocals to this album - four of them harsh vocals, three of them cleans, with two on double duty. The harsh vocals are incredibly weak - the death growls are the total opposite of powerful. Compare the second verse of 'Three Dimensional Aperture' with any work of Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis and you'll see just how tame the death vocals on here are. A thin black Metal rasp in the vein of Agalloch is occasionally used, while not bad, feels mildly out of place. The clean vocals are perhaps the only strength of the album: they're smooth, have lots of vibrato and are catchy as hell (you'll have the album's choruses in your head after just one solitary listen). I can't get in to the vocals very much however, as the lyrics on this album are complete trite. If you didn't guess by the song titles name dropped throughout this review, they deal with many negative concepts, such as despair, death and depression. The main problem is the lyrics are terribly written and a million miles away from being genuinely emotional ("F*ck you and your snub perception", "Misery, another life is taken, recall the spirit breaking through"). Also, the clean vocals (which make up half of the album) are in the vein of power Metal, being insanely catchy and uplifting, thus when chorus lines such as "Can't take no more desolation, self-murder, revelation!" come in, they're impossible to take seriously, making the chorus(es) awkward. The lyrics are very full on, which raises yet another point: why are the lyrics trying to be so emotional while the music is more in the vein of Dream Theater than a band such as Daylight Dies?

The only thing worthwhile on this album is the song 'Spiralling Into Depression'. Being a single song it avoids the pointless, cluttered technicality the rest of the songs have (there's no solo, yay!), and the chorus is highly catchy and fun. Besides that, I can't find any reason I'd ever want to come back to this album.

Overall, Buried In Oblivion is simply everything wrong with modern Metal. Everything is so disorganised and directionless, it leaves the album totally unmemorable (besides some of the stupidly catchy choruses, but hey, catchiness =/= substance). I'll go back to my Iron Maiden now.

There are a lot of different words that can be used to describe Into Eternity's music. Words like progressive, melodic, heavy, catchy, and some others. All of those words apply to their third full lenth album Buried in Oblivion. There is one word though that describes it better than all the rest and that word is perfect. Everything about this album is top notch from the vocals to all the instruments. Every band member does their part and the end result for this album is great. Buried in Oblivion is without a doubt the bands best album to date and it could be one of the best heavy metal albums of the past couple of years. Into Eternity blend melodic death metal, progressive death metal, and power metal and they make it sound absolutely incredible.

So what do you get when you mix technical riffs, blast beat drumming, and some pretty technical basslines? You get this album. Its amazing how great the instrumental aspect of this album is. Even from the first song Splintered Visions, the guitarists Tim Roth and Rob Doherty blast you with the techincal, but very melodic dueling guitars. From that moment on you should know that these guys don't mess around. Both guitarists keep that intensity and melody throughout the course of this album. Even though on some metal albums the bass isn't audible, that isn't a problem here. The bass is extremely audible on this album. The bass is handled by Scott Krall and he does an amazing job of keeping up with the fastness and technicality of Tim and Rob. The good part is that you can hear him on every single track and he definitely doesn't disappoint. Drumming on this album is really fast. The drummer on this album is Jim Austin and like the rest of his band mates, he's amazing. Sometimes he plays extremely fast blast beats and sometimes he's just playing really fast. Either way, he keeps the listener entertained. He's no Inferno, but he's damn good.

Now for the vocals. The lead vocalist on this album is Chris Krall. With most of Into Eternity's vocalists except for Stu Block, this would be the only album that Chris would be on. To tell you the truth, even though Stu is a good vocalist, this guy is just better. Stu can hit the extremely high notes, but this guy's voice is just a little better. Chris has a couple of different vocal styles. He does the low death growl, a pretty high pitched power metal type of clean singing, and a high pitched scream that resembles something that you would hear from a black metal vocalist. No matter what style he uses he sounds perfect and the vocals are really what make this album go above and beyond. Chris isn't the only vocalist though. All the other band members help out with backing vocals. Tim does clean and death vocals and Rob, Scott, and Jim help out with just the death vocals. The vocal parts are probably when Chris and Tim sing in the power metal style at the same time. The good thing is that you will get to hear that on every song. Every single track has an extremely catchy chorus. These choruses can get stuck in your head for days believe me.

Ok so if you don't have this album you should do yourself a favor and check it out. Into Eternity plays the same style of metal as a very loved band Opeth only with much better clean vocals, more technical riffs, and faster drumming. Basically on this album, they're a better version of Opeth and they don't have long songs that can get boring. Everything on this album is perfect and all true metal fans should do themselves a favor and go out and get this album now.

As biased as it may come about to some, I like to think of this album as a milestone to the progressive metal and melodic death genres respectively. Simply because there are elements of both, which have been meticulously structured, as well as integrated, by a group of exceptionally talented artists. As clarification for what has yet to be said, everything you'll find in this album is a combination of intelligent, depressing, angry, and even exhibits quite an adventurous overture as you listen and discover innovation at its finest.

Heavy and intense are two different things, and this album and band alike prove such. Heaviness is what you hear, and intensity is what you feel. Intensity is also a hell of a lot to take in, if performed correctly and with discretion. Another feat this band has perfected with absolute mastery, is integrating technicality and showmanship. For example, this album kicks off with "Splintered Visions," where we are displayed a most captivating scale progression by virtuoso of the guitar, Tim Roth. Also being displayed, as well as a plus, is a substantial amount of jazz-fusion influence, which the bass follows very well throughout. As glorious seconds pass on this already "impervious-to-discrepancy" opener of the album, we are then struck with the aforementioned heaviness and intensity, providing blast beats and other various tricky and technical drum skills shown too. This also applies to almost every other song found on this album. With many surprises and edgy riffs and beats on their own, so you will find that no song is alike on Buried in Oblivion.

Then along comes vocalist Chris Krall, with a soulful voice (death growls/singing) and powerful lyrics to follow. The growls are something refreshing to listen to, because of the combination of a raspy mid-high pitch scream, and guttural, but non-monotonous, death growl. That, and the fact that they are being implemented in progressive metal. The clean vocals executed perfectly to the intense and melodic elements of the music, and are a sound like no other. Seemingly conceptual and intricate, the lyrical themes to this album are about anguish, depression and misery. It may be frowned upon by some, given the fact that all you'll hear these days is cliched with the infamously superfluous talk of suicide. However, when given a chance listened to, you'll find that these are merely personal struggles that everyone has gone through at some point in their life, whether or not they would like to admit that. Considering how aesthetic they are written, it is damn near impossible to disagree. They show much emotion necessary, and it is very deep.

This album is nothing short of ace, and should be the album to recommend to any progressive metal fan for its diversity and utmost solidity. You will never find a dull moment on this masterpeice, and you will not be displeased.

Into Eternity is a very interesting band to say the least. I first got this album two weeks before seeing them open for Symphony X. At first listen, I thought it was decent, but not memorable. I put it away after the first listen, but after seeing these guys live, I had the urge to listen to this again. This was a good choice on my part-- this is not an album that can be fully appreciated after one listen. A good description of Into Eternity would be the last two Death Albums mixed with Painkiller and Dream Theater.

Now, onto the album. Buried in Oblivion starts off with an excellent opening salvo with Splintered Visions. This track is a good example of what to expect for the rest of the album--four to five minute songs that have enough prog, but are compact enough so that they are not dragged out too long. The next few songs continue in similar fashion until the title track, which is fully acoustic. At first, I though that this was a bad idea, but after repeated listens, it seems like a great idea. The title track is lyrically connected with the last two tracks (the same words are repeated in all three songs), and the transition amongst all three is seamless. This is an excellent way to conclude this album.

The only problem I have with this is that it seems a bit sloppy in some places because they are trying to do too many things at once (Point of Uncertainty is guilty of this at certain points). Still, this is easily forgivable.

As for individual performances, everyone is top notch here. The vocals are great and quite varied (although Stu Block seems to have more range, Krall is still a very good vocalist). Tim Roth does an excellent job with the guitars, going from complex riff to complex solo and back, but what really stands out is the willingness to use simple chords--just listen to the song Isolation towards the 3:08 mark. This sounds very simple, but it is quite fitting for the few seconds that it is there. There is no pointless indulgence here--everything is fitting. The bass is good, but not spectacular. The drums do a nice job following everything and providing a good backbone, and on such an album with this amount of progressive influence, it is noticeable how good the drumming is.

This album is a very unique album that takes a few listens to appreciate, but once you do, it will be one of your favorites if this type of prog is to your liking. On a side note, if at all possible, see these guys live! They mainly stick to songs from BiO and TSoA (and probably new songs from The Incurable Tragedy on their next tour). They are great live--energetic, crowd-engaging, and perfect musically.

Best Tracks: Splintered Visions; Embraced by Desolation; Spiraling into Depression; Isolation; Buried in Oblivion; Black Sea of Agony; Morose Seclusion

There have been many variations on the concept of Hell in heavy metal, be it the romanticized den of fire that is replete with Greek and Norse beasts, or the icy cabins of despair where the damned find no hope or escape. Some bands choose to condemn it as a place that no one should end up; others celebrate it as if their own damnation was assured in their own minds. However, there is a less heard version of Hell that resides in the mind of a lost soul who can not see the light despite the sun before his eyes, a mind fraught with frustration. This place, somewhere both in between the 2 more common paths and also completely removed from them is how I could describe what I have heard on this unique meshing of styles and lyrical themes.

“Buried in Oblivion” oozes images of despair and hapless grief from its very title, while its unique mixture of sounds perplex the ears into re-assessing what they know about the boundaries of metal. Attempting to attribute a single style or sub-genre to this album is pure folly, and this even holds true for the somewhat vague progressive metal sub-genre which unites such unrelated acts as Dream Theatre, To-Mera and Ivory Tower. You have morose death metal grunts and wails that would make Charles Schuldiner proud, harmonized choruses that rival Queen, a bold mix of Petrucci shredding and Jim Matheos style melodies, classical acoustic serenity and a host of other eclectic devices, all superimposed on a series of beautifully crafted verses of woe.

The complexity of influences, however, manifests itself into a series of extremely symmetrical songs with carefully selected hooks. The assertion that this band has metalcore tendencies might indeed be valid when analyzing the simplicity of the melodies and the minimalist, almost groove-like tendencies of some of the riffs employed. There is only one song on here that goes beyond 5 minutes, and it is essentially linked to another shorter song thematically and lyrically, thus you have a very compact and accessible variant on the progressive metal style. The death metal vocals and clean power metal-like sections are basically perfect foils, each sharing equal prominence in most of the songs on here while interacting with contrasting instrumental sections.

The great Persian flaw in this near flawless endeavor is that there isn’t really a single uniting vocal force to speak of on here. Chris Krall has a strong voice and complements the entire arrangement, but he never really dominates the fold the way a front man is required to. If Stu Block had been the vocalist of this album rather than a slightly watered down follow-up in “Scattering of Ashes”, this particular gem would literally be flawless. Instead, what is heard is ingenious, yet in some respects sounds like it’s either without a clear focal point or possessing 2 or 3 at the same time. Often this approach works well with super-groups like Avantasia, but for an individual metal act it takes away from the band’s distinctiveness.

As to picking out highlights from this ambitious work, you could pick any song depending on what you’re looking for, as this album has just about everything stuffed into its 45 minute duration. If you want to be impressed with guitar gymnastics, listen to the first 30 seconds of “Splintered Visions” or several of the guitar solos spread out through most of the other songs. If you want a powerful chorus that rivets the ears and makes you want to replay the song ten or fifteen times in a row, check out “Embraced by Desolation”. And for the Maiden epic lover in every metal head, with a dash of Fates Warning style acoustic guitar brilliance of course, put together the title track with its second part “Black Sea of Agony” for ten and a half minutes of ecstasy.

If you have to own only one album by this still young act from Canada, this would be the one to get. Likewise, fans of the band’s latest offering “The Scattering of Ashes” are also advised to check this out as it is musically superior, though perhaps vocally inferior to said album. For a metal band that came out of the western side of the Atlantic Ocean in the late 90s, this is about as good as it gets as far as both prog. metal and death metal goes, and even power metal although I don’t know that anyone would ultimately apply that label to this band. For a walk through the beautiful yet depressing wake of oblivion, pick up your copy today and be prepared to be buried in it.

Today, Into Eternity might not be one of Canada's biggest music exports in the metal world. They're slowly moving towards that position, and it's possible that they might reach such heights in the future, but they aren't quite there yet. In 2004 they certainly weren't anything more than one of the numerous bands trying to make a name for themselves. Up until that year, the progressive metal band from Regina, Saskatchewan had released two albums, Into Eternity and Dead or Dreaming, the former generally ignored and the later met with positive acclaim. Into Eternity's third album, Buried in Oblivion garnered itself a similar reaction from critics and fans alike, and is even regarded as the band's strongest by some. Before 2006's The Scattering of the Ashes I would have probably agreed with those sentiments, as Buried in Oblivion is indeed a very solid album.

Into Eternity's musical direction takes on several different forms. Throughout each moment in the 10 track album, there are several different, yet interconnecting elements. The most unique of these elements is the vocal harmonies that four of the band's five members contribute to. Into Eternity's new vocalist (at the time) Chris Krall is the centrepiece of this combination, and does an excellent job providing a lighter, depressing edge to the band's aggressive riffing. While the melodic harmonies and harsh screams are not quite as impressive here as they are during new vocalist Stu Block's performance in the band's latest album, The Scattering of the Ashes, the combined efforts of the band members is very infectious, especially after numerous listens. Of all Into Eternity's albums, the vocals found in Buried in Oblivion are probably the most difficult to get into, specifically the vocal harmonies, but if you give it a chance, it shouldn't take away from the quality of the album. Musically, the Canadian's are also very competent. Fusing progressive metal and death metal, the band has created quite an interesting, unique sound for themselves. Their guitarists fluctuate between technical melodic leads and heavy chugging riffs quite frequently, almost as often as their vocal styles change changes between growl and harmony. And similarly to their singing patterns, said progression is quite effective in creating the angry/bitter musical themes which the lyrics stress.

In terms of actual songs, what can listeners expect? A handful of energetic, exciting, and surprisingly fresh songs, ten to be exact. Of these ten, my favourite would be the heavy hitting 3 Dimensional Aperture. This track probably epitomizes Into Eternity's sound the most. Perfect for new fans of the band, it incorporates everything Into Eternity does well into a concise 4:47 offering. The frequent fast paced riff and death metal growl sections create quite an epic atmosphere which is one of the album's highlights. Also impressive are Buried in Oblivion and Black Sea of Agony, two tracks which segue into each other. The former, the album's title track, is the calmest off the album and almost entirely makes use of clean guitars and lacks drums or bass. The guitars are quite similar to Crystal Ann off of Annihilator's Alice in Hell album or Mine Is the Grandeur off of Dark Tranquillity's The Gallery album, though not quite as flashy. The follow up is not especially heavy, especially when compared to the likes of 3 Dimensional Aperture or Embraced by Desolation, but it remains an aggressive track none the less. Its interludes and bridges and varying time changes should impress fans of the more progressive characteristics that the band employs, as it is very well written and performed.

The only aspect of Into Eternity that I don't really enjoy is the lyrical element. The band focuses almost entirely on depressing subjects and themes, making it somewhat difficult to listen to at times. And with song titles like Spiralling into Depression, Embraced by Desolation, and Splintered Visions, it isn't difficult to spot such an emphasis. While such writings fit the musical elements of the song writing very well, it can become a bit much to listen to as the album progresses. To be honest, I'd like to hear a less negative song from Tim Roth, but whatever floats his boat.

Overall, while not Into Eternity's best (The Scattering of the Ashes takes the cake here), it is still a superb offering. Combining strong vocal melodies with guttural death metal screams and proggy, melodious guitars with aggressive, thunderous riffs, Into Eternity has carved themselves a nice little musical niche from which they should only improve on. While the lyrics could definitely use some work, the musical qualities to be found here vastly over shadow the rather whiny, juvenile lyrical messages. For those looking to get into Into Eternity, this would be an excellent place to start, as it places emphasis on all of the important characteristics of the band's technique and performs said techniques at high level. I've never seen this in stores, however, so you'll likely have to order online, or something of that ilk. And if you're looking for a younger metal band with potential that can combine prog influenced metal with death influenced metal, and do it well, then don't look any further than here.

(Originally written for Sputnikmusic)

As a preferer of European styles of metal, Into Eternity's sound came as a surprise to me after first listening to this album. The recording of the album itself is well produced, clear and no musical mistakes i have noticed after owning it for over a year. Firstly, the most stand-out feature of this band is their absolutely incredible vocals. The range of singing and harsh vocals surpasses most metal bands around, and they strengthen this statement with there absolutely PERFECT harmonies, with both singing and harsh vocals.

Instrumentation within the album, Buried in Oblivion, is well-mixed, each song having its own sound with relatively no repetion making the album one you can listen start-to-finish. The guitars are well used; even though the shred-to-be-dead can get very boring, they manage to keep the mood in the air and mix up nice melodic solos with intense shredding frenzies, and in between, great use of lead guitar over powerful rhythm. The drums in some parts dont seem to fit the mood, unfortunatly, though the skills of the drummer never make you fall asleep, with great build-ups and use of thrashy beats in appropriate places. One thing that is great about the album also is that the bass guitar is very clear when played through a decent set of speakers, and when you hear it, its not your average play-along-with-the-guitars bass line, plenty of funky background riffage and fills in there.

I would recommend Into Eternity, particularly this album, to anyone who is into genres such as power, melodic or heavy. Anyone who listens to folk-influenced, jazz-influenced or european metal styles should give them a go. Moreover, Into Eternity are a powerful sounding band, with gracious vocal power and great guitar solos. Another nice add to the album is a couple of acoustic tracks which show their folk/ classical influence.

Great album.

To put it quite simply, this release owns almost every other release from any other band I have ever heard. This may quite possibly be my favorite CD of all time, which is quite a feat, as I listen to such a vast array of bands and genres.

The mood on Buried In Oblivion is dark, angry, and depressing, with lyrics focusing on some of life's darker attributes. Overlapping vocals and rough guitar melodies add to this characteristic. Not to mention some of the magnificantly moving symphonics used in songs like "Buried In Oblivion" and "Morose Seclusion."

The absolute best part of this album, however, are the vocals. Holy fuck, they are amazing. The death growls and high pitched shrieks are fairly average, but the clean vocals are simply astounding. People compare them to "emo sounding metalcore bands," but I beg to differ...to me it sounds more power metal, but I could see how it could be compared to emo vocals, especially in the song "Embraced By Desolation." Emo or not, they are VERY well done. The way they overlap them is awesome sounding and gives one a horde of feelings.

The guitar work in this release is top notch. The riffs showcased here will be stuck in your head for days, if not weeks. They blend perfectly with the harmonized vocals and add complex solos, contributing to the sheer brilliance of the music. The riffing doesn't include breakdowns, something I know most "true" metal fans will enjoy. However, some moments may seem a bit too "core" for some, but I assure you there isn't much core on this album at all. The bass isn't hidden behind the music either. It's straight up front with all the other instruments and is very noticeable and has some pretty skillful moments.

Drumming...the drumming here is great. Technical, fast, driving; it all fits the music so well. The drumming here stands out and is certainly not too low or too up front in the music; it is simply perfect. The use of double bass isn't too overused here either; there are no crazy fast double bass moments to be found.

The production is pretty good, although it does seem to be a bit...soft. I recall when I first listened to it I thought the clean vocals were Kind of low, but now that I'm used to it it doesn't bother me the least. In fact, that would have been my only quarrel with this release, but now I'm so used to the way the vocals sound it just doesn't phase me.

This release is a must buy for all fans of metal, especially the fans of progressive and melodic death metal. Buy it, kiddies!

Highlights: Wole fucking CD.

I am not kidding with the title. Right as you pop the CD in your CD player, you’re greeted with a twin-guitar attack that is very unique in the speed at which it is executed. At this point, you know the band is here to play, which is something they didn’t demonstrate that much on their previous outing.

This album is definitely an improvement over the previous album. The last album was very good in its own right, but it had a much more metalcore feel than this one. This album is pure prog/power in all its grandeur. The songs are unbelievably catchy, especially considering the technical proficiency which all the instruments show throughout the album.

Of course, what’s good prog/power without extremely catchy choruses that inspire singing along, fist-pumping, and headbanging. Of course, the choruses on this album do not disappoint in this regard.

This album does, by prog/power standards, have some very unique things going on throughout. The vocal styles are very different from normal prog/power. I use “styles” in the plural form because it’s applicable. You have everything from death metal growling to higher-pitched screaming, all coupled with some clean singing that you would expect in a progressive metal band. Lyrically speaking, this band also does not deal with the typical cheesiness of the genre. There are no mountains, swords, or dragons here. Instead, the album is highly personal and introspective in a lyrical sense. This tends to add some appeal to the album, as it avoids the styling that is typical of the genre.

Another thing of note is the fact that the album shows a very interesting way of switching up the time signatures and tempos throughout each individual song. Where most bands fail, however, this band succeeds. This band avoids doing this for the sake of doing it. Into Eternity are skilled in keeping the songs catchy and generally accessible to the average metalhead, while showing off all these musical acrobatics.

All in all, the album is unbelievable. There are so many hooks in this album. (Hooks is not a bad thing, people. It just means that there are moments that are catchy and memorable.) I constantly find myself singing songs like “Point Of Uncertainty” and “Beginning Of The End”. This is the album that should break the band into the more above-ground echelon of metal, right up there with fellow Century Media acts Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall. This album has the moments that will appeal to these sorts of casual metal fans, but also the acrobatics and technicality to appeal to the fan of more underground music.

Upon my first listen of Into Eternity I had absolutely no idea what to expect. They certainly have their fair share of fans as well as detractors. Into Eternity have carved their own sound although its quite easy to pinpoint that they sound like a collage of numerous great bands. Upon the opening of Splintered Visions I knew I would be in for a treat. Top notch guitar work which nu metal bands could only dream of playing. I usually tend to think of them as a result of a more accessible, modern progressive band who chose to explore the melodic death/hardcore metal roots.

The vocals performed on this album are fairly standard in that they have one vocalist with relatively weak death metal growls and a very talented clean vocalist in the vein of Russell Allen although a bit more on the accessible side. The same can be mentioned of the guitars, which are the focal point of this bands sound. Excellent guitarists all around. One of the main issues of the band is how they alternate into these choruses that are accessible to the point of modern radio(I wouldnt call them nu metal). Its all a matter of taste if you cant tolerate a midpaced chorus with very melodic vocals you shouldn't look any further. The rhythm is not very prominent(Im shocked) but at times the drummer can show that his musical skill can equal those of fellow band members(end of Point of Uncertainty).

For the most part the album is very consistent and the production is very well executed. I would recommend this album to anyone from fans of progressive metal to fans of melodic death metal and to anyone who is a huge fan of proficient guitar work(not just tremolo the same 3 frets at 200 bpm) and a few nice sing along choruses on the side. Very good guitars, varied impressive vocal approaches and a sound that kicks ass. What more do you want? Haven't heard their newer material but if its anything like this album then I am sold.

PS: Don't forget to check out the acoustic title track. Great dual guitar work and beautiful song.

Favorites : Splintered Visions, Spiralling into Depression, Buried in Oblivion

In fact, the vocal work on this album alone deserves a 100. Into Eternity seem to get better periodically with each album. They flawlessly went from a raw, more extreme sound on their self titled debut, to the refined masterpiece that is Buried In Oblivion.

What makes this album immensely superior to their past work is the band's newest vocal addition, allowing Into Eternity to experiment with three completely different ends of the vocal spectrum. Each song contains the high pitched, yet brilliantly harmonized classic power/prog voice, a hardcore/melo-death growl/, and a low more brutal death metal growl.

This band thrives on harmonies. Solos at times can be also heard harmonized which definately spice up the album. The vocal harmonies are many, and reflect the agressiveness or melody of the song depending on the track. The title track is an acoustic masterpiece that breathtakingly switches to electric leads."Embraced By Desolation" is the albums best song, featuring one of the most memorable lead guitar parts to be heard since Metallicas "For Whom The Bell Tolls".

For fans of high quality vocal and guitar work, this album is a must.

This is one of the greatest CDs ever recorded. If you like metal, you better like this band. This is the only album of theirs that I've heard so far, but it sure as hell won't be the only one. Let's break their sound down piece by piece:

VOCALS - Chris Krall is an incredibly skilled power/prog style metal vocalist. His vocal melodies are catchy and well thought out. He layers the vocals often with awesome harmonies, hitting notes I couldn't dream of hitting without coughing up my lungs. He and the other guys in the band also put in death vocals which sound awesome and bring in a nice contrast.

GUITARS - Extremely technical metal guitars, but not to the point that it's all leads and nothing is memorable. The riffs stick with you after you're done listening, and even the leads do. Now, I'm normally not one for 'breakdown' guitar riffs, but this band knows how to do them and have them well composed, usually with vocals over them, giving it a nicely orchestrated sound.

DRUMS - Complex, fast, and awesome! Their drummer might make it to the list of my favorites. It seems like this guy really took the time to think about what he was gonna do, instead of just laying some standard double bass down with two snare hits per measure, like so many do. This guy comes up with drum parts that are as interesting to listen to as any other aspect of this CD. This guy must be really good at math.

COMPOSITION/ORCHESTRATION/ETC. - Very well done, very well layered. Most of the songs do have the standard verse/chorus formats, but with other parts in between to make it interesting and not too repetitive. All the parts bring together intense contrast: dark sounds, light sounds, heavy sounds, soft sounds, high falsetto vocal harmonies, low death metal growls... but it all flows together beautifully and seamlessly.

I would put a list of the best tracks here, but... I can't decide which are my favorites! And it'd be kind of pointless to list like 7 out of 10 titles as the stand-out tracks. So, just get the album and listen to them all!

This album is kind of confusing, but overall it transcends (and rises above; sure) all of this weird mind-boggling junk and manages to come out very successful in its mission: to make some headbanging, riffing, technical/progressive METALCORE. This album is basically metalcore with a TON of groove, a bit of technicality, and a lot of harmonizing. Sure there are the standard death metal-ish grunts/screams, but there's also some cool black/death style stuff (especially on Embraced By Desolation). The thing that REALLY shines on this album are the clean vocals. From the beginning of the first track's incessant prog-groove, and then the arrival of clean vocals, you can sort of make a guess that this isn't going to be your average metalcore.

First of all on our list of stuff to talk about, is the guitars. Roth is a GREAT guitarist, and the leads could NOT be better in this atmosphere. Some of the stuff is extremely pretentious right here, such as the aforementioned intro to track 1. It's great, don't get me wrong, but it's basically showing off. But, in any case, the guitars couldn't do a better job.

Drums...the drums are tight as hell. There are some cool fills, though they aren't in abundance, which was actually kind of to be expected. Some cool technical parts and the snare is so fucking stiff, it sounds great (listen to the beginning of Embraced By Desolation)

The bass grooves its way to the top on this album. I have no problem with it. After all, at least you can hear it.

The clean vocals are almost as cheesy sounding as Spiral Architect's, but I really like them in the context of the album, it breaks stuff up.

But, eventually, you arrive at Buried In Oblivion. Of course, they had to go and ruin this great winning streak they had going. The song is tastefully done, I'll give it that, I just...didn't like it. For those of you wondering (since you're reading this), the track is completely acoustic and it's not that great. After this somewhat "sub-par" song, though, they continue the vicious prog-death/metalcore onslaught with 2 more songs.

I'm sure you're wondering what the best track is on the album though. Well, I'd have to say it's a toss-up between 3-Dimensional Aperture (which has the stupidest name ever, but it rocks), Spiraling Into Depression, and Splintered Visions. The rest is very good, and this album was a GREAT surprise.

Get it if you like Spiral Architect, Quo Vadis, Gory Blister, or Dream Theater.

Into Eternity being the band that they are, really are quite abstract and stand out from your average metal band. You want an introduction to the new multi-metal masters? Well not only do they blend Progressive, Power, Speed and Death metal into their music, but they perfect each style as if it is their own. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada being their homeland (not that far away from my Province) i've had the privillage of witnessing their flawless live show two times. The latest on Feb 6th in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was easily one of the best live performances to come out of any band and the audience ate it up as if there was a free Whopper giveaway at Burger King. One of the best nights of my life, no joking! The energy so was fucking intense and I don't believe i've seen such a successful underground metal, live performance EVER, and rightfully so. The entire pit was blazing and the band was flailing. These guys deserve all the praise they get and beyond. Promoting their new album Buried in Oblivion the band has found even more to be proud of with lush new riffery, and with the addition of Chris Krall on the pipes. The drumming courtesty of Jim Austin is tasty as fuck, and fits the music like a gloove. The brainchild of Into Eternity, Tim Roth is one of the most underated guitarists on the scene, who tends to have a sound similar to Jeff Loomis of Nevermore fame (Not your walk in the park). Scott Krall's bass playing ability is above and beyond average by todays standards. Although no longer a member he sure put tons of attitude into the groove and rhythm of this remarkable album.

Melding nearly every metal element on the scene today, IE shant be ignored. Dream Theater, Opeth, Nevermore, Death, and Iced Earth, are just some of the bands that come to mind when listening to Into Eternity. As much as I hate putting genre labels on bands I would have to say they are either progressive, or extreme. Now to the music which I have a hard time describing because there is really so many elements put into their music. Clean and death vocals are present all throughout this mammoth so if you despise death vocals this will NOT be your cup of tea. I adore both and embrace bands that can and will have the balls to do both. Diversity is something that comes seldom out of bands, because they want to attain their trademark sound, whereas band that take risks, surprise and bewilder your listener. Into Eternity fits this description perfectally, and i'd even go as far to call them modern composers of the 21st century. Every note is well thought out without any sour unsatisfying tones to disturb the mood of the song. I truely hope this album breaks the band beyond underground status because this is flawless. Into Eternity has obviously put tons of sweat and blood into this and they are to be commended. Having achevied greatness with Buried in Oblivion, all of you should take a bow to the new leaders of "melting pot" metal.

Cheers you guys (come back to Winnipeg - theres another pit waiting for you!)

Best Tracks: Splintered Visions, Embraced by Desolation, Dimensional Aperature, Point of Uncertainty, Isolation, Black Sea of Agony