Edge of Paradise – Hologram
Edge of Paradise – Hologram
Frontiers Music Srl
Release Date: 14/07/2023
Running Time: 44:55
Review by Laura Barnes
7/10
It’s an exciting time for Edge of Paradise. Fresh from their jaunt on the 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise and a US tour with Lacuna Coil, the band release their fifth album “Hologram” with a newly imbued lease of life. Loud, angry, and packed with a formidable amount of bounce, “Hologram” is a fantastic work of modern metal, and a middle finger to the face of metal elitists who decry the use of electronics and synths in metal.
Edge of Paradise are captained by frontwoman Margarita Monet, and she leads the band into battle with swagger and ease. Imagine Ash Costello’s lung capacity combined with a dollop of Maria Brink’s awesome vocal weirdness – that’s Margarita Monet, and she rocks. She kicks things off with fire and flame during the opening title track, bursting into an anthemic chorus that proves ample opportunity for both dancing and headbanging. Ditto for the follow-up track, ‘This is Personal’. While this doesn’t have the unique sparkle and punch of its predecessor, it still has enough oomph to fill up the Satan’s Hollow dancefloor. ‘The Faceless’ is a particularly interesting track, both lyrically and sonically. The song has an air of sincere melodrama as Monet declares that the only way to grow stronger is to destroy all that you were before – or, in her own words, “To take my power back / I must become nameless”. ‘Don’t Give Up On Me’ takes a darker turn, with moody verses and a bridge and chorus that crackle with sinister dread.
It’s clear that Edge of Paradise are pretty confident as far as songwriting is concerned, and their musicianship is top notch – Dave Bates’ guitar work particularly shines on the heavier tracks such as ‘Basilisk’ and ‘Another Life’. Despite this being a great offering, it is possible that this musicianship could have been showcased a little bit more with rawer production, or an earthier sound. Better yet, why not release a live album? At this stage in their career, I say Edge of Paradise have the right to go fucking wild – with a release like “Hologram”, they’ve bloody earned it.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Hologram
02. This is Personal
03. Soldiers of Danger
04. The Faceless
05. Dark
06. Unbeatable
07. Don’t Give Up On Me
08. One More Time
09. Basilisk
10. Another Life
LINE-UP:
Margarita Monet – Vocals, Keyboards
Dave Bates – Guitar
David Ruiz – Rhythm Guitar
Justin Blair – Bass
Jamie Moreno – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Laura Barnes and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
