Endtime Odyssey -
City In Decay


(CD 2018, 49:12, Basspie)

The tracks:
  1- Burned Up(5:02)
  2- Sinners' Paradigm(6:19)
  3- City In Decay(6:13)
  4- Metal On Skin(11:48)
  5- Essence Of Time(4:36)
  6- A Life Of Pretence(6:40)
  7- Stargazer(8:36)



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Belgium band Endtime Odyssey was founded in the end of 2012 and it took a year and a half to complete the line-up. A line-up consisting of vocalist Lio Meessen, guitarist Tim Verheyden, keyboard player Tobias Vanderhenst, bass player Joeri Herregat and drummer Steve Vanderperren. During the writing process, the musicians focussed on originality and diversity in their compositions. After Tobias left the band, keyboard player Veronika Martinová was the ideal person to replace him and in this setting Endtime Odyssey's debut album; City In Decay was recorded.

After several listening sessions, I still have a hard time to come to a conclusion about the music of Endtime Odyssey. Musically City In Decay is quite alright, an interesting mix of progressive rock and metal, with an alternative twist. But like many other bands, Endtime Odyssey has a vocalist that shows two faces. For the most parts, Lio is a dedicated and solid vocalist; Sinners' Paradigm, Essence Of Time. During other parts his pathos and melodramatic style doesn't really fits the band's music. As I wrote, musically quite all right, hack out the Leprous style opening of A Life Of Pretence, and basically the whole composition is a pretty interesting one. As with the final composition Stargazer, a smooth mellow piano driven ballad. A decent track, but perhaps not the one to finish an album with. Returning to the vocal parts on the album, Although I think Lio is a decent vocalist, I get the idea he is putting too much effort in showing that he is a decent vocalist. Meaning, he perhaps add too many elements in a song; straightforward parts, dramatic emotional elements, twists and turns. Therefore the compositions seem to sound a bit overdone; keep it simple, your voice is great. Don't overdo things.

City In Decay is an album you have listen to more often, it's an album that should grow on every listen. But still,... Sometimes less is more.

***+ Pedro Bekkers (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen)

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