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AFTER ALL...

Eye 2 Eye

Neo-Prog


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Eye 2 Eye After All... album cover
3.41 | 57 ratings | 7 reviews | 16% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 2009

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Overture (2:54)
2. Tears of a Clown (8:19)
3. Cold and happy (9:03)
4. Wasted (6:40)
5. A Celebration (15:20)
6. Pouring Rain (6:22)
7. Hovering (13:07)
8. After All (14:30)

Total Time 74:15

Line-up / Musicians

- Amirouche Ali Benali / guitars
- Philippe Benabes / keyboards
- Jack Daly / vocals
- Aymeric Delteil / bass
- Didier Pegues / drums, piano
- Elise Bruckert / violin
- Bruno Pegues / guitars
- Lucie Lemauff / backing vocals
- Marie Lemauff / backing vocals
- Lou Prigent / backing vocals

Releases information

Musea Records

Thanks to windhawk for the addition
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EYE 2 EYE After All... ratings distribution


3.41
(57 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(16%)
16%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(46%)
46%
Good, but non-essential (26%)
26%
Collectors/fans only (11%)
11%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

EYE 2 EYE After All... reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This sophomore effort by French outfit Eye 2 Eye should please many fans of what's coined Neo Progressive rock, as well as quite a few followers of the more vintage-sounding symphonic prog expression - as long as the latter don't mind modern sounding synths that is.

Tracks close to or of epic length, carefully crafted guitar patterns of the melodic variety underscored neatly by the bass guitar with all manners of keyboards, organs and synths in the back of the mix is the name of the game here, sometimes sounding like a UK act of the mid 80's suddenly discovered while at other times the band are closer to the more symphonic moments of German act Eloy in their overall sound.

Some odd choices, at times somewhat weak and accented vocals and a production that on a very few occasions fails to do the music justice is the main negatives here. All of them minor points, but in total enough to make this a very strong effort rather than an instant classic.

Fans of Neo Prog may well regard this as one of the better albums of 2009 though.

Review by Marty McFly
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars When speaking of Neo-prog, one can't help to not compare this with Martigan's album. Most people will probably more like Mart (y?), because it's far more well known, but this one also has a lot to offer. It's problem to promote album, to get people know about it. So I hope my review will help you to eventually choose, or hate this one (I hope for first choice).

It's Neo-prog, maybe typical sound of neo, for me characteristic by guitar sound and certain composition of songs, in other words, structure. It's hard to describe it, I just feel it. That this album is good example of Neo-prog. Second track, Tears of a Clown really reminded me Marillion's first album. Not by music, or at least not much, but more like with atmosphere, idea of sad clown. Cold and Happy, I can almost see imagination of some distant country, standing on a ridge and watching forest landscape under my feet, many meters down, in a land and time, when kings still reigned, even the lyrics are completely different. It's epic album and is full of mostly longer tracks. I wonder, why (when I first listened this album) C & H charmed me so much. I know the reason, it's because this song has magic inside. It's here as one of the elements to make final impression. And not only this song, most of them. Only track I don't like much is first, Overture intro, but that's not important one. Not bad, but more like setting mood, just introduction to what will await, full of unfulfilled ideas, promising, but not satisfying. Yet.

5(+), simply inspiring masterpiece, undeservedly overlooked.

Review by b_olariu
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Second album of this french neo prog band followed after 3 years from first one named After all is a natural continuation over the previous one, but again some mediocre moments combined with some good make from this album only a good one. As I said on previous review , same problems are here again. On vocal department, sometimes the voice sounds a bit too naive and without balls, is like this guy is complaineing on every note about his tragedy in life, a fact that is almost true because the album sounds very melancholic in places, atmospheric but always kep on high level because of the keyboards passages. This is the main attraction of the band, realy if were not some truly amazing key arrangements on both albums, this band were a forgetable one , at least for me, because the rest are usual stuff, nothing really bad, but nothing oustanding either. I don't understand the high rating of this album here, ok only two reviews from 9 votes, is a good album, but to give 5 stars is a bit too much, I can't give more then 3, while is ok is far from other albums from 2009 and far from other albums from this genre. In some parts is weak and without many truly great moments that worth more then a couple of spins.
Review by Tarcisio Moura
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Very interesting french neo prog outfit that offers their second CD. After All... is a concept album of sorts and while it is a ´true´ neo prog record, with everything that makes this kind of music so appealing to me (dramatic vocals, beautiful Latimer/Rothery inspired guitar solos and dreamy keyboards) , it is also clear that the band has not reached a point where they you can tell they have a sound of their own. Eye 2 Eye was obviously influenced by Pink Floyd and, specially, early Marillion. That´s part of the problem: some parts sound too much like PF while others are pure Marillion (not as much as canadian band Red Sand does, but close).

On the other hand it is also obvious that the group has very talented musicians and their songwriting is, at least, above average. Oddly enough, singer Jack Daly delivers his parts more like Steve Hogarth than Fish, even if several hints of Fish lyrics are present along with the music (a homage?). The addtion of a violin player on some tracks is a plus and I hope they use this instrument more in the future. As expected the guitar solos are brilliant and the keyboards are great too. Ok, nothing really new, but brilliant parts anyway. Production is very good.

Conclusion: a great promise. In 75 minutes of musis, After All... has lots of tasteful moments that will please the neo prog lover for sure. But the band has to hone their strong songwriting skills to make something less derivative and more original. Certainly they are more than capable of doing so. I´m looking forward to hear their next release. Maybe this will THE one. For now, they are good (most of the time very good), but hardly essential: 3,5 stars is a good rating.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars French outfit Eye 2 Eye deliver a fairly straight-ahead and unadventurous neo-prog offering on After All. There's nothing really surprising or novel about the album, which is very much in the Marillion-inspired style of so many other second tier neo bands, and whilst such a musical approach can win me over when it's combined with excellent musicianship and inspired compositions, here the performances and songwriting are merely lukewarm-to-good. If you're a particular fan of this style it might be of interest to you, particularly if its emphasis on longer compositions is appealing, but I think most neo-prog fans would be able to name a dozen more interesting albums in this style without really trying
Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars At the fall of 2006 Eye 2 Eye faced the departures of Benoit Derat and Cecile Carratero, but soon they would find their replacements on singer Jack Daly and bassist Aymeric Delteil.The recording sessions for a second album started in 2008 and the following year the new album ''After all...'' saw the light with the support of Musea Records.

The line-up changes only good could have made to a band that had a rich and grandiose sound, but failed to deliver memorable material and conveincing songwriting.The receipt was the same: Mostly long tracks with plenty of changes, melodic passages and doses of symphonic grandiosity next to more downtempo atmospheric soundscapes.The influences come still from the music of MARILLION, PINK FLOYD, GENESIS and PENDRAGON with the musicianship being often absolutely bombastic and dense.What had really changed was the presence of striking melodies, the delivery of more powerful, orchestral movements and, last but not least, the presence of a new singer with a highly expressive voice.The arrangements contain plenty of changing climates, mostly in a very emotional or theatrical manner, that are tightly connected to each other, with floating synthesizers, cinematic orchestrations and deeply lyrical offerings.The guitar work is usually stunning, serving the needs of the atmosphere.Nervous riffs leave their places to thrilling solos, while there lots of GILMOUR-like smooth vibes around.The result ranges from sufficient to outstanding and the atmospheric textures are in a great balance with the melodic patterns or the more emphatic instrumental ideas.

This is certainly a welcome development over the decent but slightly colorless ''One in every crowd''.A must have for Neo/Symphonic buffs and a warmly recommended album for all lovers of atmospheric Progressive Rock...3.5 stars.

Latest members reviews

3 stars This French formation is rooted in 2006, in the same year they released their debut CD entitled One In Every Crowd under the name Eye To Eye. But because of an American band from the Eighties with the same name they changed their name into Eye 2 Eye. In 2009 Eye 2 Eye has released a new album (b ... (read more)

Report this review (#1953941) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Wednesday, August 1, 2018 | Review Permanlink

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