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ALSO EDEN

Neo-Prog • United Kingdom


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Also Eden picture
Also Eden biography
Founded on Southwest England in 2005

Influenced by traditional progressive rock music such as Genesis and Yes along with the more modern progressive sounds of Porcupine Tree and the Flower Kings, the band was initially formed as a recording project in 2005 by Huw Lloyd-Jones (vocals) and Ian Hodson (keyboards/vocals).

With the addition of Simon Rogers (guitars/vocals), Ralvin Thomas (bass) and Mark Hall (drums), the band sound began to take evolve, culminating in the 2006 release "About Time". About Time has since received many favourable reviews, and the band's live appearances helped win new audiences both in the UK and on the Continent following live performances at Summers End Festival 2005 and 2006, and ProgFarm (Bakeveen, Holland) in 2006.

The band underwent some personnel changes due to personal and work commitments in 2007, and recruited Steve Byrne (drums) and Steve Dunn (bass/vocals). This line-up performed at Summer's End, Progfarm and ProckFest (Bunde, Germany) and these performances have enhanced Also Eden's profile to a new audience. Also Eden have since parted with Steve Byrne, but are busy writing and recording their second album (due for release in March 2008) and are very excited by the new sound and change of direction" and the prospect of live work in 2008.

Biography courtesy of Steve Dunn

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ALSO EDEN discography


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ALSO EDEN top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.54 | 62 ratings
About Time
2006
3.66 | 56 ratings
It's Kind Of You To Ask
2008
3.67 | 61 ratings
Think Of The Children !
2011
3.84 | 108 ratings
[REDACTED]
2013

ALSO EDEN Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

ALSO EDEN Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

ALSO EDEN Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

ALSO EDEN Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.25 | 17 ratings
Differences As Light
2010
5.00 | 2 ratings
Distortion Field / Bleak Midwinter
2010

ALSO EDEN Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 [REDACTED] by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.84 | 108 ratings

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[REDACTED]
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by Idaho

3 stars Less neo-prog and more modern prog, [Redacted] takes Also Eden in a new direction. Fans of both neo-prog and more modern hard prog like Riverside or Haken may find a lot to enjoy, but those who prefer the old Also Eden will likely come away disappointed. Their first three albums were undeniably neo-prog; their fourth still has some of their old neo-prog sound, but they've [d]evolved. The vocals are pretty standard neo-prog and they clash with the rest of the music. The guitars are harsher and more modern. The music is more complex, harder, more unsettling, and busier than their earlier albums. Somehow, though, it's not any more interesting. "Extend and Embrace" is the best song on the album, and the most true to Also Eden's neo-prog roots.

It's perfectly fine listening, with neo-prog sounds shining through every once in a while, but it's not something I'll be returning to very often, if at all. I'll stick to their first three. 3.0 stars.

 About Time by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2006
3.54 | 62 ratings

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About Time
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by VianaProghead
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Review Nš 210

First of all, I must say that I heard to talk about Also Eden, for the first time, on this website. I also must say that, since the first moment that I've heard talk about this band I became very interested about it, especially after read their biography on Progarchives, a couple years ago. So, soon it was possible, I decided to buy their first debut studio album, 'About Time'. I also must say that this wasn't the first time that a thing like that happened to me. Unfortunately, this is a very common situation with many other progressive rock bands. Many of those bands are practically unknown for almost all of us, which is also this case. This is very unfair, but luckily, we have Progarchives to do its great job.

Also Eden is a very interesting but quite obscure neo-prog band from United Kingdom. In reality, this is almost an unknown group. The band's members said that their music is influenced by the traditional symphonic progressive rock bands, like Genesis, Yes and Flower Kings, by neo-prog bands like Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, Arena and Pallas and even by some other progressive rock bands with other styles of music like, for instance, Rush and Porcupine Tree. The group was formed in 2005, when vocalist Huw Lloyd-Jones and keyboardist/vocalist Ian Hodson, who had been working together up to that point, invited guitarist Simon Rogers to join them. With the addition of bassist Ralvin Thomas and drummer Mark Hall, the band's sound began to take evolve, culminating in this 2006 release, the album 'About Time'.

So, the line up of the band on 'About Time' is Huw Lloyd-Jones (vocals), Simon Rogers (guitars), Ian Hodson (keyboards), Ralvin Thomas (bass) and Mark Hall (drums). The music is all composed by Also Eden and the lyrics were all written by Huw Lloyd-Jones.

'About Time' is the debut studio album of Also Eden and was released in 2006. The album has five tracks. The first track 'Between The Lines' is a great song to open the album. It's a very powerful and vigorous song where we can clearly detect the influence of Genesis, Marillion, IQ and Arena, and also some slight influences from the progressive metal style. The sound is akin to some of the 80's progressive bands and Abel Ganz, in particular, come to my mind, while there are some traces of the early Marillion, towards the end. This is really a great track. The second track 'For Bumble' is a song that oscillates between calm and vigorous parts. It's a song with a beautiful beginning, with a very calm and nice acoustic guitar work, and again we can feel some influences from progressive metal sound. Near the end, there is a spectacular keyboard work that reminds me Tony Banks of the good old days in Genesis. This is probably, in my humble opinion, the best track on the album. The third track 'Pandora' is the smallest and calm song on the album, and probably, is the less spectacular, but it still is a very good track. It has an interesting start that reminds me the work of a clock. It's the more uniform song on the album with some good individual performances, which at times, reminds me Marillion. The piece is more centred on the lyrics and as a consequence the song seems somewhat flat. However, Hodson contributes with a reasonable guitar solo. The fourth track 'The Enemy Within' is a song with a piano opening that reminds me the beginning of an Anglagard's song, that fantastic Swedish progressive symphonic rock band of the 90's. It's a very nice, calm and uniform song, very melodious. The track has a spectacular final where again the influence of Genesis, in the Gabriel's era, is present. We can also hear the influence of David Gilmour's guitar on this track. Some shades of early IQ in a good way to wind up the track. This is another great track. The fifth track 'Children Of The Night' is a very powerful and vigorous track with great individual performances. It's a song more in the vein of 'Between The Lines' with a sound more in the rock style. This has another great vocal performance by Huw Lloyd-Jones, whose vocals are, in my humble opinion, very similar to the vocals of Alan Reed, the vocalist of Pallas. The band really shines on this song. It's a song very well arranged and the song has a rousing end to this surprising first album.

Conclusion: I must confess that I only know this band's album, until now, but I was very impressed with it. I bought 'About Time' some years ago and I became very excited with the quality of this album, when I listened to it for the first time. The rich textures of their music and the emotional lyrics about the real world, brings to us the great quality of Also Eden's songs, which has the result of bring more richness to our progressive world. Despite the influences mentioned by the band, on this album the main influences are Genesis, Pallas, IQ, Marillion and Arena, sometimes with a little touch of the progressive metal sound. However and despite all these influences, Also Eden has a very own and modern sound. Unfortunately, I think Also Eden is still an unknown band in the progressive rock world, and even on this site, we just need to see the small number of reviews and rates to conclude that. So, the last thing I can say is that 'About Time' is a fantastic debut album, and Also Eden is a band that deserves much more attention that it has had, until now.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

 [REDACTED] by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.84 | 108 ratings

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[REDACTED]
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by toilet_doctor

5 stars They call it Neo. "I don't know what they're talking about, but count me in."

This is the case, when each song topped the previous one, while the very first one already was great. I don't know, who is responsible for the music, but songwriting is excellent, so is musicianship, add to it passionate vocal throughout and original sound - Melodic Symphonic with a modern twist. I was listening the album in my car, came home, my wife already called me - where I am, but I couldn't stop playing to the very end.

I hate conspiracy theory, but what it is - it is: for a last few years most prog bands silently agreed to suck all my money out. However, I don't mad at them - just give me more albums like this one. 5 Stars from Eden.

 [REDACTED] by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.84 | 108 ratings

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[REDACTED]
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by tszirmay
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars I took the plunge with Also Eden, titillated as I was by a few reviews from some cherished colleagues, a leap of faith often rewarded with jubilation and excitement. Boy, was I in for a large surprise, as it's a much sharper edge than I was expecting, vocalist Rich Harding in particular sounds a lot like Geddy Lee and guitarist extraordinaire Simon Rogers really scorches and shreds. In my mind, this is heavier modern neo-prog, perhaps closer to Crystal Palace, Deeexpus, Riverside and Haken, bands that follow the prog philosophy but also understand the need to ROCK. Nothing wrong with that, we all need to let the juices flow from time to time. The pugnacious rhythm section is particularly active and threatening, Graham Lane doing some magic stuff on his booming bass guitar while drummer Lee Nicholas kicks tight hard butt. There is a glistening sonic veneer that is instantly appealing, catching one almost off guard upon first listen, a trait that implies quality and creativity.

The growling guitar supplies the first raised eyebrow, as Rogers does a Jeff Lynne wink (the track "Dreaming 4000" off ELO's On the Third Day) , kicking this one hard and nasty, setting down a tone of metallic angst that will not dissipate throughout the disc. This hefty opener also offers various contrasts, ambient waves, softer expanses blended into the steamroller main menu.

A hushed "Endless Silence" suggests echoed sounds from a distorted keyboard, tick-tock fuzzed percussion, while Harding opts for the whispered, nearly comatose voice approach, a recipe for classic progressive exploration. Simon enters with a brief, radiant and fuzzy solo, very experimental and somewhat schizoid that segues into its companion piece "Distortion Field", a bold, in-your-face neo-prog rocker, closer in method to Arena, Galahad, Pallas and IQ. Sinclair shuffles among various components of his keyboard arsenal, letting Rogers rage on his Gibson Les Paul with obvious energy.

A "Maggot Brain"?like guitar spot intro on "A Lonely Idea", screwing psychedelic insanity onto a chugging electronic beat is how this piece evolves into an all-together completely alternate universe, muted voice in recognizable anguish, a heartless riff coming clean and vaulting this sucker into Geddy Lee helium-voiced territory , inhabited by clicks, clangs and slick imagery. Nothing predictable, even though this genre can be quite formulaic when in neutral. Also Eden have their own sound, of that there is no doubt! Harding really gives a worthy vocal performance, letting his soul inhabit the lyrics.

The high point is reached with the surreal mastodon "Chronologic", a sweeping and pulsating tune that has brash modern-isms (actually almost recalling recent Ultravox), Harding doing his best Midge Ure impersonation , it's a pretty amazing sound! Lane rattles nicely in the basement, bashing heads with the mad drummer. The mid-section is a splendid respite from all the effervescent aggression, a podium for some slick meanderings that are 'oh so cool', the nasty Rogers axe rasping and cajoling briskly. The resultant solo is acidic, liquid rage along the fret board, but short and to the point. Harding has now evolved towards a more conventional metal howler.

The dreamy "The Test" shuffles into breezier territory, fueled by an almost country-style slide guitar that gives the piece a little accessibility. Harding swoons 'melting in the rain' as if he meant it, full of abnegation and despair.

Back to some bombast and energy, and perhaps my favorite track here, the deadly "Extend & Embrace" , a brooding nightmare song where Harding does his best Fish/Stu Nicholson imitation. Lane's bass pushes, Nicholas drums along and Rogers manipulates his fret board with liquid simplicity. Great track!

"Decoded" is the final chapter, acoustic guitar intro entices an early Genesis-like mood, Harding singing about some 'soft machine' , a real professional prog solo from Rogers seals the deal, a fitting end to an enjoyable album, certainly nowhere near masterpiece stage but a fine release nevertheless.

4 spellchecks

 Differences As Light by ALSO EDEN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2010
3.25 | 17 ratings

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Differences As Light
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Despite being a modern Prog band on the rise, Also Eden continued to struggle to find a stable crew to move on.In 2009 Tim Coleman ended his short stint with the group and the same year the band had to part ways with the excellent voice of Huw Lloyd-Jones, leaving Ian Hodson as the only original founder of Also Eden.Dave Roelofs jumped behind the drum kit and Rich Harding was the new vocalist.In order to present the new members to the public three new compositions were written and released in 2009 through the mini-CD ''Differences as light''.

New singer Rich Harding had a rougher and less sensitive voice as heard in the opening piece ''Seeing red''.This belongs among the very good tracks written by the group, absolutely suitable to the voice of Harding: bombastic, dramatic Neo Prog, featuring heavier guitar moves ala ARENA and background orchestral keyboards in the vein of IQ, passing through different segments with changing moods and characterized by impressive songwriting skills.With the following ''Oud en nieuw'' (means ''Old and new'' in Dutch) Harding will have the chance to display his more emotional side.A low-tempo ballad-like piece, delivered mostly on piano and acoustic guitars with a surprising string section towards the end.The three-part closing ''Reality cheque'' is a typical Neo Prog piece, kicking off with some smooth guitar playing and Harding's balanced singing lines before developing into a heavier monster with keyboard effects and hard-edged guitars and finally evolving in an ambiental mood with Harding leading the track to a beautiful guitar solo by Simon Rogers, supported by Hodson's playful synthesizers, much in an early MARILLION style.

A decent presentation for the new cast of Also Eden, containing two very nice cuts and one trully excellent piece.Recommended, even if it shouldn't actually belong among the top priorities of a Prog fan.

 [REDACTED] by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.84 | 108 ratings

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[REDACTED]
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars This is the fourth studio album from South-Western neo-proggers Also Eden, but although I am sure that I heard the debut when it came out in 2006 I have somehow missed these guys through the years, and I can see that on the basis of this I am going to have to undertake some searching as this is superb from start to finish. I know that they have been through some line-up changes over the years, but as I am treating these as basically a new band I can't comment on what impact that may have had on their overall sound, all I know is that I like this. A lot. Rich Harding's vocals reminds me of a lower version of Galahad's Stu Nicholson, with the same quality and melody yet with the edge at times of Credo's Mark Colton. Certainly on a musical front there are similarities with the aforementioned Credo as well as IQ, but although I mention these just to give some sort of idea of the sound these guys are very much their own band.

I have often thought that some progheads look down on the 'neo-prog' genre, and some of the bands themselves hate being called that, but to me this album epitomizes all of the best from the Nineties when I and many others (but not enough, let's be honest) traipsed around from Walthamstow to Whitchurch and all points in between as we tried to support the progressive underground. It brings back the memories of hearing Winter for the first time when I was the only person in the audience (Red Lion Brentford ' sadly missed, but never forgotten), or jumping around to the madness of Grace or the metallic monsters that were Mentaur and Freewill. Harmony vocals, great riffs and hooks, keyboards and a rhythm section all joined together, who could wish for more? This is progressive rock that brings a smile to the face of the listener and the desire to get up and move, as they remember that the second word of the genre is indeed 'rock', something that often gets overlooked. Sheer fun from start to end, here is a band I need to hear more of. www.f2music.co.uk

 [REDACTED] by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.84 | 108 ratings

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[REDACTED]
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by PF75

5 stars First things first, I was sure that I had already written my review for this album so here goes again. Although I was aware of Also Eden and had heard quite a few tracks from their albums, this was the first time that I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to a complete album from start to finish. The first thing that strikes you is the quality of recording and the excellent musicianship of the guys. The vocals are really clear and concise and I love the style of singing. It's not like many others in Prog who tend to try and sing like Gabriel or Fish. Rather than go through each track and give a view, I'd prefer to use the whole album as the basis for people going out and making this purchase. Each track on the album is excellent and a worthy part of any Prog fans collection. It's a definite 4 1/2 stars for me or 9 out of 10 if you prefer. Do yourself a favour and listen to this album, you'll be suitably impressed.
 [REDACTED] by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.84 | 108 ratings

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[REDACTED]
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by mitchgo

5 stars It's a crime how under-the-radar UK's Also Eden have been for years. Yeah, there are a ton of excellent modern prog bands, but AE have deserved a place next to the most buzzed-about bands since their excellent 2006 debut ABOUT TIME. And while they've undergone lineup changes over the years, the band seems (mostly) stable since 2011's THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

On paper, you can hear AE's influences..a little Genesis, a little Marillion, a little Radiohead. On disc though, one of AE's charms is their unique sound, and while you can spot the precedents if you try, they never fall into purely derivative territory. (Only on CHILDREN's "The Greater Game" do they sound overtly like Fish-era Marillion, and I've always thought it was more hommage than anything else.) Their previous three albums are all superb, especially CHILDREN, but on (REDACTED) AE have reached a new pinnacle of modern progressive art.

Yeah, it's a concept album. And yes, you may have heard it revisits a surprisingly familiar prog-rock concept, namely the aftermath of a devastating traffic accident. But while both Dream Theater and Spock's Beard have used this conceit to convey a sense of fear and dread (with mixed results), (REDACTED) instead gives us a meditation on life and survival that is positively Zen in its organic approach. Like the best prog, it spools out slowly over the course of its 8 tracks, often building tension and heft through the layering of clever and surprising instrumental tracks. Also like the best prog, the album reveals itself only through repeated listens, and sounds fantastic on a good pair of headphones. The mix is incredible...you get wide soundstage like a good Floyd album, but there's also a gorgeous depth....Rich Harding's classicist prog vocals sail cleanly about a spacious pillow of sound, buffeted by layers of guitars and keys. Listen closely and you hear things you won't expect...like C&W-influenced slide guitars, or the bits that sound like one guitar figure magically expanding into multiple tracks right before your ears. Simon Rogers outdoes himself with axe work that always supports the songs and creates context and often soars melodically, but never crosses the line into wankery.

I could single out a song or two but the album functions as a whole and should be heard that way. The concept and some of the other clever conceits (like the song titles) enhance the work but aren't necessary to enjoyment. (In fact i fell in love with the album several spins before reading about the story behind it.) If you like your modern prog organic and lush, melodic and moving, with a lot of sonic detail that requires more than just a casual spin but real attention on your part to uncover. (REDACTED) is a must-hear. If you're already a fan of AE you will love this record. If you're not, you will be after experiencing (REDACTED).

 About Time by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2006
3.54 | 62 ratings

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About Time
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by Aragon

2 stars Also Eden release 3 album in their career, and i decided to buy the first of 3 reading the outstanding review here; but I was a bit disappointed. The band deliver a good neoprog, sometime close to borderline of AOR with nice vocals and average interlude between guitars and keys, but lacks in memorable moments. The music tends to be boring after some listen, the riff of guitars and keys are predictable and to me seems like I've already hear in other bands. Maybe the best tracks is the 2nd one, very dreamy at begin, after 5 minutes the sound is ruined by a metal guitar in Arena style, but fortunately this ugly part fade out after 2 minutes, where start a mellow parts, with a nice guitar solo in Steve Rothery vein, and after this start a fast minimoog solos really outstunning. The other tracks aren't so emotional or catchy, so I rate 2,5, rounded to 3.
 About Time by ALSO EDEN album cover Studio Album, 2006
3.54 | 62 ratings

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About Time
Also Eden Neo-Prog

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Also Eden's debut album presents an energetic and boisterous style of neo-prog reminiscent of a more forceful version of Arena's style from their first three albums (and of course there's a heavy sniff of early Marillion about proceedings). What the band lose in originality, they somewhat make up for in enthusiasm, with their high-energy playing and carefully judged compositions winning me over. They are far from being a lazy Marillion clone - vocalist Huw Lloyd-Jones, in particular, sings in his own distinctive (and really quite good) style as opposed to impersonating Fish - but they are quite clearly rooted in the classic neo-prog sound of the early 1980s. Fans of that particular style who cannot get enough of it might hear a lot that they like here - but a lot of it will be familiar enough to make them feel like they've heard it all before.
Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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