4 out of 5 Stars!

Although several websites state that Waken Eyes is a Canadian band, the group is indeed comprised of international musicians, including in-high-demand German drummer Marco Minnemann, killer New Jersey bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X), and Swedish vocal powerhouse Henrik Bath (Harmony/Darkwater), which leads me to believe that skillful guitarist/keyboardist Tom Frelek is the actual Canadian native.

Regardless, the band’s wealth of experience and craftsmanship clearly shows on its debut album, especially on sundry tracks such as “Cognition,” “Cornerstone Away,” “Deafening Thoughts,” “Across the Horizon,” and “Palisades.” Aside from the seemingly flawless musical performances and often-complex instrumentation, and the clear yet punchy production quality, Exodus includes everything fans of Progressive Metal typically require—melodic songs that periodically shift and spiral through a wide variety of influences, a splendid balance of laid-back, mid-tempo, and energetic moments, with the diverse extremes of stark/moody and bombastic/orchestrated passages providing welcome contrasts, along with the often cinematic-sounding epic title track exceeding the eighteen-minute mark.

In short, Waken Eyes is a promising band, and Exodus is an impressive debut!

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