Review: Into the Ether – Electric Eden

Artist: Into The Ether (Official Website)
Album: Electric Eden
Rating: 8.5/10

When it comes to the Rock sub-genres… I normally like to keep as little electronics in the mix as possible. That being said, occasionally, there’s a band who heavily laces their music with electronics.. but does it in just the right way, so as to not seem too overproduced and, thus, blending the two into perfect harmony. One of those bands, London’s Into the Ether, found me a couple months ago and have really exceeded my expectations from first listen of their debut album Electric Eden. Hopefully, if you’re like me, you’ve become expectant of a debut album to be something that breaks the mold. Something that is truly unique, destroying all preconceived notions you may have had about the band. The best thing you can do with electronically-based music is take it and shroud it in mystery, to create a truly atmospheric listening experience that will translate both in-studio and live. I believe that ITE has done this very well on Electric Eden, so I commend them greatly for that. Though, what may be the most impressive thing about this band is that, unlike most music in this genre, the vocals are not destroyed by an overload of auto-tune, which seems to plague most music these days. Frontman Stevie Saint’s vocal parts resonate with professionalism, confidence and emotion… especially in songs like the 8-minute long “Paradise”. But what sets them apart from other bands? What is it that should warrant you turning your attention toward Electric Eden?

First of all, the album is just under an hour long. For most electronic albums, I start turning songs after about 10-15 minutes simply because I feel they start to run together. While a lot of these songs may SOUND similar, it’s the way that they are delivered that keeps you listening. What do you think the title Electric Eden means, though? You would think that it’s going to be a happy story of a paradise-like place that ensnares the senses and boggles the mind with it’s beauty… sorry, you’re wrong. When we start the album, we’re met with “Electrons” which sees Saint crying out “Please sir, no more pain. Not another shock to the brain!” Are you getting the point here? This track starts an hour-long journey into the psyche of an individual who is, either insane or, who was trying to expose this “Eden” for what it was. The powers that be want them shut down, so they shock them… sending them into their own mind. I sense a sad tale of love, loss and corruption throughout this album.. and, while I may just be reading into this too much… this is what it feels like. This feeling becomes stronger when we get to the track “Pipe Dreams” which speaks of “dreaming of another world, another time and place”, where we learn of a girl named Jessie who is trapped within this mirage of a world. I would assume that this is the main character in this twisted tale. It’s amazing that an album with such a sad tale can keep such an upbeat sound but… this is one of the things that makes ITE unique from other bands.

After “Pipe Dreams” ends… we’re lifted into another individual’s mind.. and individual who was in love with a girl named “Kay”. “You make me sick but to hell with it, I’ve got to have you… one last time!” Here’s the twist, I believe that “Kay” is code for the drug Ketamine… a drug that is known to trigger what, some believe, are “out-of-body” experiences… a drug that creates a euphoric sensation that only leaves you begging for more… thus the hallucinogenic dreams we’ve come across thus far. If you listen to the track, you’ll hear our character saying things like “you make me sick but to hell with it, I’ve got to have you… one last time” and “Kay, why are you tormenting me? You’re making me do things that I can’t believe”. Starting to see my logic here? This logic is strengthened as we’re taken through the next track, “The Nightmare” where our main character wakes up from their drug-induced coma.

Most lyrics are written, based on personal experience. It sounds like that MAY be the case with this album because it grabs the listener and connects you in a way that, if they weren’t, definitely wouldn’t be as strong. In any case, Electric Eden does leave a bit of room for improvement but I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of any genre of rock. I don’t want to spoil any more surprises so, do yourselves a favor and go pick up this little piece of madness and indulge yourselves in the world of Electric Eden. Keep an eye out for Into the Ether in the future, I believe they have nowhere to go but up from here! You can check out the video for “Pipe Dreams” below!

“Pipe Dreams” (Official Music Video)

Into the Ether are:

Stevie Saint – Vocals
Ant Thrax – Guitars
Angel Amorphosis – Synths & Programming
James Z Dark – Bass