Review Summary: Eowyn finds her true voice in "Beautiful Ashes".
In Eowyn’s previous album,
Silent Screams, she tried a new musical style - it consisted of gothic/mainstream rock with a slight industrial influence. Although it hinted at a possible diverge into unique territories, the music was much too generic to be applauded yet. Now that three years have passed, you may wonder if the years have taken a toll on her work. Well… they haven’t. Fans will be pleased to hear that the core of her music is still intact, and in fact, its core has been polished. Apparently, the previous style is here to stay, and has been improved. Quite the opposite of an identity crisis, in
Beautiful Ashes, Eowyn has found her own style and even improves upon the previous formula. At this rate, her next album could be mind-blowing.
Eowyn went for broke in this album, and it payed off nicely. Although it is mainly a rock album with (as usual) strong gothic influences, the album is prone to experimentation. This time, the album sounds more like a soundtrack to a movie – this was unexpected. The last thing you would expect to hear from an Eowyn song is something pretty, but quite a few songs are moving. There is a strong use of strings making things cinematic, and yet having obvious focus, as opposed to many Christian bands. Tracks seem grand in scope, and for once, inspiring. No longer stuck in dark music, she is free to dwell on positive things, and this makes the album’s Christian message convincing. Singing lyrics like “You’re my fail-safe when nothing is fail safe”, she confesses her reliance on God, and gives hope to listeners.
Beautiful Ashes claims Eowyn’s boldest musical shift yet. She has finally decided to take her industrial influence to the next level, to the point where you can actually say that she is an industrial musician. A large emphasis is given to the electronics and industrialisms, and how they play with the strings. Of course, it’s still in the band’s Evanescence-like shell with typical verses, choruses, and riffs, but one can’t help feel that this album has surpassed such generic material. Grandeur is the word, as she has made her most cheery and full sounding album yet.
Recommended Songs:
- Beautiful Ashes
- Fail-Safe
- Cliché
- Burning Pages
- All I Need
