INTO ETERNITY

The Scattering of Ashes is cold. You feel as though you can actually reach out and touch the storm the experience conveys; the atmosphere is just that wonderfully tangible. But with a beautiful vibe comes great compositions that offer a supreme demonstration of extreme power metal. There's a progressive air that looms about the technical rapid-fire riffage, as the menacing growls and impressive shrieks coat each effort in layers of darkness and melancholy. Aggression as well, sure, but definitely melancholy. As fun as the intricate arrangements and blazing virtuosity prove to be, the undertow of futility and hopelessness remains beneath the flashy exterior of the instruments. Perhaps that's the true source of this collection's quality; you're always hearing tales of personal struggle and desperation, but they're filtered through both addictive melodies and exhausting levels of instrumental showmanship. The way these attributes simultaneously repel and blend with each other is fascinating, and often leads to the best pieces on offer here. Add some folk to the mix (the lovely acoustic intro to "Surrounded by Night" is sublime), and you really feel transported into a different environment altogether.

We've heard the theme of winter used countless times, whether it's by droves of extreme metal groups coming out every year or even simply an overexposure to Christmas music. But The Scattering of Ashes is one of the closest I've heard to whisking me away to different locations and time periods altogether while still fitting snugly into its conveyances of harsh tundras and the lonesome nights in the wilderness. But remember: at the end of the day, you're still listening to an intense power/prog/extreme metal album, one of equal parts aggression and melody. At the end of the day, you're listening to a group who can juggle genres at a master-class level and maintain their emotive musical/lyrical content in the process. You're listening to a singer who can sing three or four different styles in the same damn song without breaking a sweat. The Scattering of Ashes is the sound of incredible atmosphere and concepts carried by a group who are 100% certain they can live up to the task they set for themselves: the task of melding emotion and virtuosity almost flawlessly. At the end of the day, this is a thing of beauty. A thing of progressive, dense, brutal beauty.

INTO ETERNITY dates all the way back to 1997 in Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada's central plains region by founding members Tim Roth (vocals, guitar), Scott Krall (bass) and Jim Austin (drums) and together these guys crafted a sound that mixed progressive metal with melodic death metal and a touch of power metal. After the arrival of Chris McDougall on keyboards the band created their first self-titled debut that was released independently in 1999 and then re-released the following year on the DVS label. The album showed promise but displayed an immature band trying to get it right.

The following DEAD OR DREAMING could be thought of as the band's first official release which came out in 2001, also released twice first by DVS and then by Century Media Records. This album has ten tracks and squeaks past the 44 minute mark with lyrics written by Tim Roth and musical scores crafted by the entire band. In addition to the three original members and McDougall on keyboards, INTO ETERNITY added a second guitarist with Daniel Nargang with all members contributing to backing vocals including some extra help from Amy Ozog on 'Elysium Dream", "Selling God" and "Cyber Messiah.'

Unfortunately INTO ETERNITY delivers a style of progressive metal that i don't find very appealing. In many ways this band is a one-trick pony despite showcasing a wide variety of metal styles. While in its wake the band conjures up death metal growls, thrash metal riffs, power metal melodies and progressive metal complexities, the composiitons seem to all follow the same projectile and chord progressions with a clean vocal style that alternates with some death metal growls. The overall production has one of those polished sounds that takes the grit off of the metal distortion and allows the squeaky clean vocals to shine through.

There's not much i can say about this one. I find the vocals utterly irritating and cookie cutter rhythms and compositional styles are too monotonous for my tastes. The acoustic parts with clean vocals that pump up the synthesizers are just sappy and insincere and even the riffs are boring. The death metal growls are ridiculously strewn about with no rhyme or reason. This silly canned formula just makes me think of those high quality production videos with pretty boys letting their hair blow around with fans as they try to take the focus off the music. It's hard to find anything good to say about this really because it pushes all my *hate it* buttons and i'm quite fond of cheese and pop hooks. Yawn.

Canadian act Into Eternity released their debut album through DVS back in 1999, with another four coming in quick succession on Century Media, the last two of which two featured Stu Block (Iced Earth) on vocals. The band then decided to put recording on hold, so that they could concentrate on touring internationally. Amanda Keirnan joined on vocals to replace Block, giving the band more depth and breadth with her ability to growl with the best of them as well as providing strong soprano when the need arises. The band decided that after ten years away from the recording scene it was time to return with their sixth album, and they are back with 'The Sirens'.

Spending many years on the road has obviously paid dividends as the guys are incredibly tight, with melodic guitar runs as sharp as one could wish for, while the rhythm section move between providing a foundation and moving more into the secondary melody. Amanda is a real find, the perfect conduit for the style of music they are performing, which is a mix between Arch Enemy, Death, Opeth and King's X. It is deep, it is pummelling, it has hints of Judas Priest yet somehow stays more melodic while losing none of the brutality. Some of the guitar solos, such as on the killer song "Sandstorm", are breathtakingly quick and somehow the band manages to groove and move while at the same time rocking like absolute and total bastards.

They have discovered that fine line between melodic metal and out and out brutality and speed, and have then trampled all over it. This is incredibly clever and solid metal that has much in homage to the death and thrash scene as it does to the prog, and then somehow mixes it all together to create something that fans of all three genres will do well to discover. Let's just hope that we don't have to wait another ten years for the next one, surely not.

'Buried In Oblivion' - Into Eternity (7/10)

Into Eternity has been a derisive band for me in the past when it comes to exacting judgement upon them. On one hand, they are incredible musicians and have a sound that is distinct enough to call their own. On the other, their songwriting has often passed me as being quite shallow, especially when is taken into account that they are a progressive metal act. Although 'A Scattering Of Ashes' may always be the record held closest to- or at least, least far from- my heart, the bands third album 'Buried In Oblivion' is arguably the greatest statement of their career as a band. Although the same maudlin cheesiness and recycled songwriting is present in this album as well, Into Eternity manages to make the heaviness heavier, melodies brighter, and chaos, well... more chaotic than ever with this one.

Into Eternity's sound is a hectic breed of prog, death, and power metal, coming together to create something complex, heavy, thrashy, technical and... catchy? As much as it may sound counter-intuitive, Into Eternity manages to throw soaring melodies into each chorus that are instantly memorable. Better still, this is at no loss to the complexity of the riffs and instrumentation, which keeps up breakneck speeds and numerical shredding, only letting down for the album's surprisingly emotive acoustic moments. On top of the excellent musicianship that the band sports, there are some very powerful vocals. I find that singing in progressive metal of this technical calibre can tend to distract, rather than to compliment the listening experience, but here, the vocals are erratic and as technically skilled as the instruments. It should be noted that every member of the band does some vocal bit here, so the vocals are constantly throwing something new and unexpected at the listener.

Sadly, the songwriting here is not so unexpected as the exciting way the band presents it. To start, the songwriting is fairly similar in structure to what was head on past albums, like the pathetic 'Dead Or Dreaming' record. Into Eternity's style of songwriting is fairly predictable, and sometimes even feels like a cut-and-paste of unrelated riffs to adhere to a standard song formula, at its worst. 'Buried In Oblivion' is thankfully still a large step above anything the band had done in the past though; the song structures may still feel derivative and simplistic, but the ideas themselves are generally excellent. The band even tries their hand at some more ambitious composition with the 'Buried In Oblivion' and 'Black Sea Of Agony' tie-in, a two track suite that flows perfectly into the other, creating a longer piece that crowns this album wonderfully.

I had heard that 'Buried In Oblivion' was 'a masterpiece', 'mind-blowing', and even 'one of the greatest metal albums of all time'. I cannot see Into Eternity's current formula ever taking them that far, and 'Buried In Oblivion' is no exception. While still feeling a bit amateurish on the side of songwriting, Into Eternity makes huge steps forward here, and even as someone who has rarely been impressed by the band as a whole in the past, 'Buried In Oblivion' is a great album to me.

'Dead Or Dreaming' - Into Eternity (3/10)

Sometimes called the 'Dream Theater of Canada' by fans, Into Eternity are a clearly skilled metal group originating from the middle of the prairies. While not a typical place for a metal band to start up, they have since gained a fanbase that has flowed a bit into the mainstream of metal listeners. Despite certainly being a talented bunch however, Into Eternity seems to have a bit of a problem with making a good album from start to finish. While each song they write has some sort of interesting moment of technicality or dynamic to it, the music starts to lose it's effect when the same tricks are pulled out for every song, every time. Such is the case with the band's second album 'Dead Or Dreaming.' While being an exciting and energetic listen at first, it doesn't take long to realize that each song follows very similar patterns, melodies and riffs. Especially for a progressive act, that should send up red flags almost immediately.

Each track generally opens up with a heavy, downtuned riff before erupting into a chorus or some sort of songwriting archetype. While having song structure to progressive metal can often be a refreshing change from often overzealous epics and pretentiousness, things get pretty boring. After the fifth track 'Elysium Dream,' (the first half of the album has some pretty great moments) there is almost nothing new offered, except the same sort of song that's already been heard, with different sets of forgettable, cookie cutter 'despair' lyrics.

To the band's credit, they are very tight in terms of their performance, and had these songs been performed by a less capable ensemble, there would be nothing to look into 'Dead Or Dreaming' for. However, while it's evident that these metallers can play alot of other musicians into oblivion, the songwriting and overall feel of the album leaves far too much to be desired. While the first two listens or so can be very enjoyable, once the familiarity sinks in, there is very little to enjoy here.

Their last album to date, the fifth from their catalogue named The incurable tragedy is another worthy album from them. Keeping the same attitude as before, maybe a little more atmospheric in parts. Into Eternity keeps to combine in great measure the melodic death metal, remind me of In Flames in some arrangements with spectacular progresive metal chops not far from DT. To me this album is another ex of good release, not so well recived as other releases, but still enjoyble most of the time. Again I don't understand the low rating this band recive . This album is not better then before but not weaker either, so why only 2.26 rate. I observe that when clean vocal enters the passages reminds me of how sings Rob Halford, very high, but in the end melts ok with the rougher ones. Technical death metal, the melodic side of it, very well played, the musicianship is fantastic again , but when I finished the album I said same thing this music is aimless, or at least this album and the prior one. I don't know why exactly but Buried into oblivion had that special attraction from ther first listning, a thing that doesn't happing with this one and the album befor this ne. The music is ok, but the magic is not here. So, all pieces are well played and performed, desearve 3 stars , a good album but no more then that. For fans of Becoming the Archetype, In Flames, Nevermore, Dream Theater, etc.

With Scattering the ashes Into Eternity reached to the forth album, released in 2006 at Century media. While doesn't have the brilliancy of the previous album is still a good release, even the ratings of this album are very low, strange!! To me is a a fair release, maybe a little faster then before, the growling vocals again alternates very well with the clean ones, but the music even is ok it doesn't has great ideas. As a reviewers said here, the music never goes anywhere, is a problem that must be solved if they wanted to become wider known and respected. Also I like the energy of the album, lots of changes in tempo, nice shifts between guitarist and drumr, great usicianship, but aimless in the end. Not a track is particular weak, but not one is strong aswell, maybe Eternal has some great atmosphere then others. Well, a 3 star album for me, for sure not a bad album to give 1 star, but nothing realy special either. Athing that will happen with the next release also.

Into Eternity is one of the good bands from younger generation coming from Canada in tech/extreme subgenre. Their music is a combination between Yngwie Malmsteen (the arpegios, faster guitar solos, neo classical aproach) with the riffs , the growls of for ex Death or Becoming the Archetype, the progressive metal arrangements remind me of Dream Theater, even some Nevermore or In Flames elements are here and there. So a very interesting mix of technical death metal, power metal, and progressive metal. It works quite well for the most part and the skill of the players is undeniable. having their last three albums, it seams to me that this one is their best for sure. Here the band has some very good ideas melting with some fantastic musicianship, resulting a very solid album in this zone. I like very much how alternates the clean vocals with the growling ones, even sometimes the passages remind a little bit of Gardenian but more progressive for sure then the swedish band. When I first look on their page here and reading some of the reviews I simply can't belive how low rated this band is here and I wonder why???. I mean from all 5 albums released byt he band, only one - this one has good reviews, positive almost all of them, the rest of the albums are puted on the wall if like they were the worst albums ever made in this subgenre. It's not true at all, don't belive everything you read, trust me listners, I know myself. About this album is fast, is technical, has some fantastic guitar chops and above all one hell of a drumer. 3 pieces stands on this album named Buried into oblivion as among the best of the genre IMO, Splintered Visions, Embraced by Desolation and Isolation, absolutly great tracks that will kick out of your socks for sure, I was very impressed, killer songs. So, a true rewarding album in the end that desearve from me for sure 4 stars, their next albums will be not so great but still good and enjoyble. Recommended, great and yet underrated album og the genre.

The Scattering of Ashes is the fourth full-length studio album by Canadian progressive extreme metal act Into Eternity. None of the preceeding albums have impressed me much and I´m beginning to think that Into Eternity will have to make a utopian perfect album to convince me. Yet again my curiosity got the better of me and I´ve had this album on loan for the last couple of months.

The music on the album is a kind of modern melodic death metal with progressive metal elements.The vocal style on the album is not far from the vocal style on the last couple of albums by 3 Inches of Blood. One snarling vocal type, one Rob Halford ( Judas Priest) high pitched vocal type and some melodic clean singing ( well the latter can´t really be compared to 3 Inches of Blood). The clean sung vocal lines are really melodic, but like on all earlier releases by Into Eternity, the vocal lines are not very memorable and after a couple of songs it all kinda sounds the same to me. It´s the same with the music. It´s very melodic and quite powerful most of the time, but after a couple of tracks the songs become forgettable and sounds too much the same. This music seriously lack hooks. While the music is very well executed, the production is top notch and the music as such is pretty well written to, I just can´t get excited about The Scattering of Ashes. And while I probably should give the album 3 stars because of the above mentioned qualities I can´t give something like this more than a 2.5 star rating. Fans of melodic death metal with progressive sensibilities might enjoy this more than I do.

This album is pretty good for having bean rate so low , Well This is not off my bu!!!!!!! This is 3.50 for me this is there most progressive album with the 3rd one:Buried in Oblivion This is more heavy The cathegorie say extreme and it is extreme Brutal and Violent so onless your like me with extreme devercity you like that band and Mozart (how was pretty progressive with is Requiem) but thank god there is defrent stoff in this world and this is it for this band from Saskachewan Whitch is usely pretty far bethen houses This is a good album in the EXTREME PROG and if you like this Thanks for this moment, have a nice day Pierre