{"id":11658,"date":"2016-10-06T21:40:33","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T19:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/powerofmetal.dk\/?p=11658"},"modified":"2016-10-06T21:40:33","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T19:40:33","slug":"the-reticent-on-the-eve-of-a-goodbye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsite.powerofmetal.dk\/reviews\/the-reticent-on-the-eve-of-a-goodbye","title":{"rendered":"The Reticent – On The Eve Of A Goodbye"},"content":{"rendered":"

I will admit that Chris Hathcock<\/strong> and his band The Reticent<\/strong>, although now four albums into their catalogue, have not been on my radar up to this point.\u00a0 And while sometimes it\u2019s a challenge to go into a somewhat established musical act with no expectations, it can be daunting to take that ignorance and make the first experience a concept album.\u00a0 And \u201cOn The Eve Of A Goodbye<\/strong>\u201d isn\u2019t just any concept album, this is a true story.<\/p>\n

Hathcock<\/strong>, who plays most of the instruments and performs all vocals, based the subject matter of this album on the suicide of his close friend Eve.\u00a0 As gripping of a subject as that is, I know that before I listened to the album and had this background on the material, I was wondering how someone goes about pulling that off in musical form. \u00a0Lots of questions surface, but the main one for me is will they honour the memory of the departed?<\/p>\n

And with that information, I must explicitly state that this album is not meant to be put on and listened to unless you\u2019re willing to give all of your attention to it.\u00a0 It is a very heavy album to listen to (not just in musical terms but in lyrical terms too).\u00a0 A good pair of headphones, a clear head, and your full attention is needed for the material to seep into you and immerse your mind in the story of the final 24 hours of this tortured soul.<\/p>\n

And yes, 24 hours is the timeline in this concept.\u00a0 Through 15 tracks clocking in at over 72 minutes of material, the countdown starts and moves through the wide range of emotions that Eve deals with in her final day on Earth, with tracks ranging from soft and melancholy, to pounding and bombastic.\u00a0 The music would best be described as the most well orchestrated and emotional moments of Opeth<\/strong> and Tool<\/strong>.\u00a0 And yes, although that is a very big comparison, it is definitely warranted.\u00a0 The intense, uncomfortable, and unnerving subject matter of the album is felt in every detail of the music, from the forceful instrumentation, right through to the soft and tender lull of Hathcock\u2019s<\/strong> melancholic and dramatic vocals.<\/p>\n

Unlike some concept albums which I find a chore to sit through, this album has so many songs that can stand on their own instead of becoming just a part of a story.\u00a0 I find that point gets lost on so many band\u2019s when attempting the conceptual side of music composition, but with this album, there\u2019s just so much good material to pay attention to and it\u2019s so well composed that the songs truly are their own.\u00a0 \u201cThe Girl Broken<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cThe Hypocrite<\/strong>\u201d are upbeat and driven for the most part, highlighting the frantic state of the first part of the timeline.\u00a0 \u201cThe Comprehension<\/strong>\u201d stands as one of the best representations of the album\u2019s sound, with it\u2019s twist and turns, and the emotional gutshot that you can hear in not only Hathcock\u2019s<\/strong> voice, but in all the instruments presented.<\/p>\n

Although those tracks are some of the more instrumentally potent on the album, moving through the songs as we get near the end of Eve\u2019s life, \u201c2 Hours Left<\/strong>\u201d hits us with Eve\u2019s short and haunting words as she struggles to explain her departure from the world.\u00a0 \u201cThe Decision<\/strong>\u201d obviously makes for an emotional listen as we know what is going to happen, and all we can do is hear how the finality of the situation plays out.\u00a0 \u201cFuneral For A Firefly<\/strong>\u201d is definitely the hardest piece to listen to emotion-wise.\u00a0 The labored breathing and upset tone from Hathcock<\/strong> makes this a hard song to get through, especially with Eve talking and singing from beyond the grave.\u00a0 You can actually hear the pain in Hathcock\u2019s<\/strong> voice, which is all the more powerful considering this is real life and the music is being created by his emotions.<\/p>\n

All I can say is that for myself, a person not usually riveted by concept albums or lyrical matter in general, I was generally taken aback by this album.\u00a0 Hathcock<\/strong> has done what few seem to be able to in the metal world these days, and that\u2019s to create genuine emotion and feelings, taken from a very private and secluded spot in the mind, and to put it together into an incredible tribute to his dear friend.\u00a0 From the incredible music with is played with persistence and proficiency right through to the delicate and upsetting subject matter, I can safely say that this album stands with any classic concept album that people will try and compare it with.\u00a0 But like I previously mentioned, this is a real story involving real people, and as upsetting as it was to go through for Hathcock<\/strong>, I\u2019m sure Eve would be extremely proud of him for pouring his emotions into this album which serves as a reminder that life is precious, and not perfect.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tracklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n

01. 24 Hours Left
\n02. The Girl Broken
\n03. The Hypocrite
\n04. 19 Hours Left
\n05. The Comprehension
\n06. The Confrontation
\n07. The Apology
\n08. 10 Hours Left
\n09. The Mirror’s Reply
\n10. The Postscript
\n11. 2 Hours Left
\n12. The Decision
\n13. Funeral For A Firefly
\n14. The Day After
\n15. For Eve<\/p>\n

Playing time:<\/strong> 72:46<\/p>\n

Release date:<\/strong> 5 October, 2016<\/p>\n

Label:<\/strong> Heaven & Hell Records<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> The Reticent Official Website<\/a><\/p>\n