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Eden's Curse: Live With The Curse
 Time to put my cards on the table; I very much like Eden's Curse and have seen them a couple of times in the live arena. I have seen them with original lead singer Michael Eden in support of Alestorm where they were musically solid if somewhat lacking in stage presence. I also saw the current line-up headlining at The Railway Venue in Bolton which was at times, somewhat of a disaster given the myriad of technical gremlins the band faced on that night.
The Curse (Nikola Mijic - Lead Vocals, Thorsten Koehne – Guitars, band leader Paul Logue - Bass & Vocals, former Power Quest main man Steve Williams - Keys & Vocals and John Clelland – Drums) are all very accomplished musicians and as a band they are in possession of some tremendous melodic rock tunes drawing from all four Eden's Curse albums thus far (2007's Eden's Curse, The Second Coming from the following year, 2011's Trinity and 2013's excellent Symphony Of Sin). Older classics such as my own favourite (not performed in Bolton) "Masquerade Ball" and the utterly wonderful "Fly Away" sit nicely alongside the newer material. Much as Thorsten Koehne is arguably the album's MVP I could live without ever hearing another guitar solo again but that's more a problem with live albums as they still appear to be required even in 2015.
If you a) like Eden's Curse or b)would like to get to know Eden's Curse without buying all four studio albums, then this is as good a place to start as any.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing:
CD One
1. Symphony Of Sin
2. Break The Silence
3. Masquerade Ball
4. Black Widow
5. Trinity
6. Fly Away
7. Just Like Judas
8. Fallen From Grace
9. Jerusalem Sleeps
10. Guitar Solo
11. Time To Breathe
CD Two:
1. Rock Bottom
2. Devil In Disguise
3. Wings To Fly
4. No Holy Man
5. Unbreakable
6. Judgement Day
7. Band Introductions
8. Evil & Divine
9. Angels & Demons
Added: March 28th 2015
Reviewer: Simon Bray
Score: 
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2202
Language: english
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Eden's Curse: Live With The Curse
Posted by Steven Reid, SoT Staff Writer on 2015-03-28 15:32:37
My Score: 
It's no secret that on the two occasions I've encountered them in the flesh, multi-nationals Eden's Curse have failed to live up to my expectations. Right from their 2007 self titled debut, to their 2013 "comeback" album Symphony Of Sin, where vocalist Nikola Mijic replaced Michael Eden, I've simply loved each and every one of their studio albums and yet their Firefest 2013 show was beset by sound issues and found a vocalist not yet fully comfortable with his surrounds. So when the band hit Glasgow not long after, it felt like a chance to put that disappointment behind me. However when sound issues, in-ear monitor problems and all manner of gremlins began to rear their heads again, worst fears were realised, although the band did soldier on manfully, without ever really quite winning through.
Unfortunately, for a whole host of reasons, I couldn't make it along to the Glasgow recording of the first Eden's Curse live album, Live With The Curse, but it feels like I missed out on a storming gig, where the issues of before were laid to rest in spectacular style. The sound on this twenty track set is honest, true and under-polished in a reassuring way which suggests that what we're hearing is exactly what was laid down on the night. That decision not only leaves you satisfied that Live With is a million miles removed from those studio enhanced live records that seldom make a mark, it also leaves you feeling like your in the thick of the action as guitarist Thorsten Koehne fires out his trademark riffs and solos, and ex-Power Quest mainman Steve Williams coaxes his keyboards into chaotic crescendos. Mijic suddenly sounds assured, commanding the audience in a way that scarcely seems possible to anyone who witnessed his unsure Firefest appearance, while vocally he hits the mark again and again. He may lack the bite of his predecessor, but his performance on the galloping "Black Widow" is verging on outstanding! The real soul of the band is bassist Paul Logue and whether through his thick, pointed bass-lines, or spot on backing vocals, the energy he provides is hugely infectious right across this whole album. Drummer John Clelland also seems to have found his feet, the uncertainty that sometimes came through during his early shows, hammered into oblivion through a display which pounds and pummels at every turn.
The whole Curse catalogue gets a serious workout; the debut album relived through "Judgement Day" and the ever impressive "Fly Away". "Masquerade Ball" and spitting "Just Like Judas" bring us back to Second Coming in some style, as "Jerusalem Sleeps" and the title track from Trinity illustrate how strong that album is as well. However through "Wings To Fly" and "Evil And Divine" it is possibly the Symphony Of Sin material which somehow hits hardest. That said set closer "Angels And Demons" still sums up the melodic ferocity which has always perfectly encapsulated what Eden's Curse have been about since day one and it does so again here.
I have to admit to have not really been looking forward to Live With The Curse, my own personal experiences with the band colouring my approach. However I not only have they quashed my scepticism with this album, they've also delivered a set that proves once and for all that Eden's Curse are the forerunners of the European Melodic Hard Rock set.
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Eden's Curse: Live With The Curse
Posted by Pete Pardo, SoT Staff Writer on 2015-03-28 08:46:22
My Score:
My first exposure to Eden's Curse just happens to be this splendid double live album, so I'm coming from the opposite end of the spectrum as opposed to Simon above. With 20 songs, you get a wonderful selection of Eden's Curse classics from throughout their career, all played with power, conviction, and most of all class. This is melodic metal of the highest quality, complete with sizzling guitar work, grandiose keyboards, soaring vocals, driving rhythms, and most importantly, songs filled with hooks that stick with you instantly. "Break the Silence", "Masquerade Ball", "Devil in Disguise", "Judgement Day", "Symphony of Sin", "Jerusalem Sleeps"...just a few of the many superb tracks here that will have you singing along, bursting out your air guitar, and banging thy head. The Scottish fans are heard loving every second of it, and the band obviously having a blast giving them all they have. As it should be with live albums, AFM Records have included a fun booklet jam packed with live photos to help document the event, making this a live album well worth your attention whether you have followed Eden's Curse for years, or, like me, just discovering them for the first time.
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