Exit Eden – Femmes Fatales

Six years have passed since the debut album Rhapsodies in Black saw the light of day. This success not only secured the band a spot at number 15 on the German charts but also a performance at Wacken Open Air. If you enjoyed the concept of pop music in symbiosis with symphonic metal, you will find joy in this album as well. However, in these six years, not only has the world continued to turn, but Exit Eden has also evolved – releasing six original tracks on Femmes Fatales for the first time. The three voices, now complementing each other since Amanda Sommerville's departure, blend beautifully, and producer/songwriter Hannes Braun (Kissin’ Dynamite) provides the fitting sonic backdrop.

A music box opens the title track Femme Fatale before an epic buildup leads to a gradual tempo increase, drums kicking in, and Anna's (Anna Brunner, League of Distortion) screams. If the self-written tracks continue in this manner, the decision was long overdue. Calm vocal parts alternate with guitar solos, and heavier passages invite headbanging. In the end, Clémentine (Clémentine Delaunay, Visions of Atlantis) whispers to us in French, concluding the chorus impressively and imprinting the first number in our short-term memory.

With It's a Sin (Pet Shop Boys), the first cover on the album begins, and this piece stands out, capturing the mood of the original and the delightful '80s vibe while creating an independent piece of poppy symphonic metal. Separate Ways (Journey) and Alone (Heart) also master this balancing act effortlessly, evoking both nostalgic and curious feelings. Désenchantée (Mylène Farmer), especially in the last third, showcases the impressive blend of fragility and power in Clémentine's voice, but unfortunately, this cover lacks the weight carried by the original. Poison (Alice Cooper), though covered countless times, has nothing to criticize in this rendition. Still, a certain sense of familiarity sets in, and I yearn for Alice Cooper, although the last third of the cover revs up the emotion. Kayleigh (Marillion), on the other hand, deviates little from the original mood, turning it into a standalone song that could easily fit on other poppy symphonic metal albums without being recognized as a cover. In principle, the concept of running songs of all genres through the symphonic metal grinder works very well, undoubtedly attributed to the musical prowess of the band and the producer.

However, the real highlights of the album are the self-written tracks. Folky sounds transport listeners to another world before Marko Hietala's distinctive vocals (ex-Nightwish) kick in on Run! leading to a wonderful chorus by Exit Eden's Femmes Fatales. The song is consistently powerful and harmonically written, with excursions into pop and folk. The combination works well, and Clémentine showcases her vocal versatility in the second part. You can find the amusing story of how Marko came to feature in our interview with Anna and Marina.

The subsequent Buried in the Past is the only piece on the album that simply doesn't leave a lasting impression on me. Dying in my Dreams becomes lyrically and vocally more emotional, proving once again that writing their own songs was a very good and long-overdue idea for Exit Eden. This song particularly demonstrates how well the instrumentation and the singers' vocals go hand in hand. Hold Back Your Fear finally captivates me. Marina (Marina La Torraca, Phantom Elite) starts with a vocally captivating intro, followed and accompanied by melodic yet driving guitars. A short operatic part leads to the chorus, and it feels like something new happens every few seconds in this song, without ever feeling overloaded or overwhelming. This mixture of classical symphonic metal with pop elements and a vocal diversity that is unparalleled is what makes Exit Eden truly special. In the end, Elysium pretends to be a quiet ballad, only to slowly transform into a symphonic sonic world with driving riffs, providing a worthy conclusion to this experiment. The only question that remains for me is why Exit Eden didn't always write their own songs.

Release Date: 12.01.2024