E. V. E.

Artist: 
Album Title: 
Equations Vanquish Equality
Release Date: 
Monday, May 14, 2012
Label: 
Review Type: 

This band was started as a Melodic Prog Rock solo project by American – Greek composer-singer Vicky Psarakis in late 2010, whom recorded this EP with the help of several talented Greek musicians [in fact, George Kollias on the drums and Elias Nousis on keyboards, guitars, bass and saxophone were the main contributors, with the track “The Planet's Cry” seeing collaborations of Tasos Asonitis on electric guitars, and Konstantinos Stavrou playing the acoustic guitar solo] at Athens' 9800 Studios with the help of recording & mixing engineer/ co-producer (Elias & Vicky also producing) Antonis Kontozoglou.

Following the EP's release in May of last year, Vicky felt the need to turn her project into a real band, and therefore her search for the suitable musicians started. First to join was Yannis Papadopoulos, known as the singer for Until Rain and Wardrum (interestingly, a review of the latter band's latest album is forthcoming). Willing to get into a slightly different type of music than he is used to, he joined E.V.E. as the band's guitarist. A short time after, one day in the studio, Vicky met up with young but talented drummer Defkalion Dimos. After listening to the EP's tracks, he immediately showed interest to become part of the band, in spite of the fact that he also still plays with Wings In Motion and Arkovlies. Not too long after that,  the band met George Vardakis, a pianist whom attends the same Music University as Defkalion. With the right attitude, he fit into the fold immediately. Meanwhile, the band is still looking to add a bassist and second guitarist, but things are still uncertain as yet. Undaunted, the band members have been working on new songs for a full-length release, which they hope to release somewhere in Spring 2013. The material is said to be in the same vein as the songs on the EP, but with different influences and more elements as compared to the EP, as each new member brings in something of his own.

Going back to the EP, it has to be said that the focus is on the very nice female vocals, with the instrumental part of the music being set somewhat in the back. It's a good tactic, as the lyrical part (dealing with the world we currently live in, everyday human situations and interactions, “disease”, and the kind of corruption that comes from within) demands a focus on the vocals. It allows Vicky to put a certain frailty into he voice which goes extremely well with the lyrical topics. Yet, although the music may have been mixed somewhat in the background, and the overall mood of the EP is therefore a somewhat calmer one, there's very nice things going on instrumentally, with mainly the guitarist putting in some very nice lead and solo parts.

The band itself (on their own website (http://) eve0581.bandcamp.com) recommends itself to those music fans into the likes of Pain Of Salvation, Porcupine Tree and The Gathering, and I guess that's not such a band assessment. At (www.) reverbnation.com/eve0581, you can listen to an EP teaser, as well as a full-length version of the track “The Planet's Cry”, and at (www.) youtube.com/user/eve0581, you can hear full-length versions (there's no real video, actually) of the tracks “Perpetual Dreamers” and “You Could”...and that, friends, gives you a véry good idea of what the EP sounds like! Enjoy listening to the songs available, and then, like me, yearn for more of the same!

95/100