EDEN - FAN THE FLAME - 1994/2003

THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(9-TRACKS)
1-NEED SOMEBODY
2-SHOW ME
3-MORNING STAR
4-FAN THE FLAME
5-TOMORROW'S YESTERSDAY
6-FORGOTTEN CHILD
7-GIVE ME A REASON
8-IT'S A SHAME
9-BACK TO THE GARDEN
10-LOVE ROLLS ON
THESE ARE THE MEMBERS OF EDEN











"Eden originally broke onto the hard music scene in 1991 with a scorching track on the Brave New Music compilation (Star Song) under the name Screamin' Eden. An independent release of FAN THE FLAME made it into the hands of a few lucky people back in the mid '90's. Receiving virtually no press of any kind, the rest of the world had no idea what it was missing. Touring across the nation with Rex Carroll and Whitecross, Eden developed a reputation for a hot live show and a penchant for crowd pleasing hard rock anthems. To make this release even more appealing, guitar virtuoso Rex Carroll (Whitecross/King James) holds nothing back as he handles all guitars on the album. Any fan of Whitecross will instantly know the trademarked signature sound of Rex Carroll on FAN THE FLAME. Arguably, Rex's guitar playing has not been so flashy or predominant since his early days in Whitecross. Get out those air guitars and feel the heat on FAN THE FLAME!!" Retroactive Records,but they didn't get signed when heavenly metal flamed out as grunge took off. An indie release of Fan the Flame got into the hands of a few devoted collectors in the mid 90s. Since it got virtually no publicity, most heavenly metal fans had no idea what they were missing . . . until now. Released on Retroactive Records April, 2003, and made available by Brutal Planet Distribution, Whitecross fans take notice. Rex Carroll handles all guitars on this album, and the soaring melodic vocals of Joe Dokken make this a must have CD for fans of Whitecross, Guardian, Stryper, Dokken, and Warrant. Rex's guitar licks on this album harken back to the prominent and flashy pyrotechnics of his early days with Whitecross. Since the demise of King James there hasn't been any new material from Rex, so his large and loyal fan base will surely break their piggy banks if necessary to cough up the coin for this treasure! It was been digitally re-mastered, features all new artwork, and guest appearance on bass by Mark Robertson, famous in his own right for stints with Brighton, Generation, Under Midnight, This Train, etc,When I first heard the buzz about Fan the Flame, I had no idea who Eden was, or where this record came from.Everyone’s heard the stories of bands who disappeared just as they were about to explode (Rage of Angels, anyone?)—this was almost the case with Eden. Actually, Eden was never given a fair chance, as this gem, recorded in 1994, never saw the light of day until its 2003 release on Retroactive Records.Fan The Flame is pure metal start to finish, complete with the stellar vocals of singer Joe Dokken (apparently no relation to Don Dokken) and blazing guitars, compliments of Whitecross’s Rex Carroll. My first listen left me speechless, and wondering “Where have these guys been, and why was this record never released?!?”The record kicks off with the hook-laden “Need Somebody.” In less than thirty seconds, Eden comes out with both guns blazing, flaunting one critical element that many Christian metal bands lack: a heavy dose of attitude. Dokken’s passionate vocals convey a heart wrenching emotion as he sings, “you chose to close the door/and that's what tears are for/and soon the world goes on without me.” Rex Carroll’s heavy riffing is reminiscent of Ratt, Firehouse, and Whitecross. Track two, “Show Me,” takes the band into major key, with a Van Halen (Roth era) style hard rock platter. Again, Dokken’s vocal shine. This is pure L.A. metal through and through. At the core of Fan The Flame is great songwriting (another element too often missing from Christian Metal). The title track is evidence—full of melody and a hook you’ll be humming for the rest of the day, plus Bon Jovi-power-ballad-styled-vocals, and topped off with a Stryper-style harmony guitar solo—one can’t help but think that this could have been a major hit if only given the chance. Other standouts on Fan The Flame are the heavy “Morning Star,” “Forgotten Child,” “Give Me A Reason,” and “Love Rolls On.” Actually, the whole disc rips!And one of the best things about Eden is that they don't sound like “so and so.” Sure, you can hear influences from different bands (as mentioned, Ratt, Stryper, Whitecross, Bon Jovi), but Eden are no copycat band. Joe Dokken’s vocals set this band apart from the rest of the pack, and Eden has a sound all their own. For more info on Eden and Joe Dokken, visit www.dokkenseden.com , Can this be said of a Christian band? Absolutely! Eden are a heavy metal throwback to the glory days of Ratt, Whitecross and especially Dokken. The funny thing is, the singer's name is Joe Dokken. Whether that be his real name or not, I do not know. Also, while the band's personnel is listed as: Mark Villareal Guitar, Curt Anderson Guitar, Joe Dokken Vocals, Dave Cotteleer Bass and Dave Tanis Drums, it is actually Rex Carroll (or Whitecross fame) who performs most of the guitar work here. Personalities aside, the music here is pretty solid; the music is well written, the hooks are meaty, the guitarwork is outstanding, and the production is good. Had songs like "Need Somebody" and "Show Me" been released in 1984 instead of 1994 these guys may have ruled the world. I suppose some will criticise saying that this band is playing an outdated style of music. However, any true fan of the music knows that good music is timeless and there is certainly nothing wrong with playing the music you love, rather than trying to "stay current" or trying to "be the next big thing". With that in mind, "Fan the Flame" is a solid CD. My particular copy is the 2004 Retroactive re-release(http://www.holymetalrob.com/)