format: LP
year: 1993
country: South Korea
label: King
#: KP-3018
info: Folded 10" insert w/ lyrics
style: Doom Metal
Side A:
Side B:
As far as unsung Traditional Doom Metal bands of the 80's and early 90's go, South Korea's EDEN would surely count as one of the most unsung'est. While there were signs of earlier greatness on the 1989 Friday Afternoon II compilation LP it took them another 4 years to present their one and only full-lenght to the world and if any demos or other sessions were produced inbetween, they remain buried to this day.
First & foremost, to avoid any possible disappointments, I'd like to point out that there isn't a huge amount of typically Bellzlleb/Tabbasa/Ningen Isu-style 'Weird Asia'-vibes present on this record. Instead we are presented with quite orthodox Doom Metal mostly pending between various Western pillars of the genre. The closest comparison overall if I were to pick one singular band would be Revelation. They share the same abrasiveness and skewed chord-progressions as the Maryland cult'sters and as such they end up in the opposite corner of the Doom chessboard to more Epic and approachable icons like Candlemass or Solitude Aeturnus. Still, a Doom is a Doom is a Doom so obviously there are riffs aplenty here that could be sourced to the legacy of any of these bands. Other metallic tangents present are some heavily M Fate/ King D-influenced numbers like "Lonely Grave" and "Beyond The Church" (because also vocals) as well as the Trouble/Paul Chain-mashup and Best Song On Album "Korea" ...and the ghost of Saint Vitus and their trademark sludge riffing is indeed present on just about every second track so fear not that this would be anything but proper, CoTD-approved iron. The one tune that would contradict some of my previous statements would be the closing title track, reminding us of those slow, semi-ballad S.A.-classics, seasoned with with some JPN-Sabbat grime.
Conclusionwise I wouldn't say "Adam's Dream" is an absolute must-have for each and every 80's (yeah, it's a 'dated' one) Metal
fan out there, but production and musicianship is beyond reproach and serious Doom Metal history-buffs shouldn't miss out. If only they'd given Hellhound Records a call back then I'm sure The Cult would have been ever so slightly bigger today and this review not even necessary.