Before Eden are a Progressive Metal band from Brazil. They are pretty new and haven't completely found their own style yet. You can still hear some of their influences pretty strongly. Their music is quite good but occasionally suffers from burying the melody under too heavy a display of technical fireworks. The best part of Before Eden is their singer's unique voice. He has a deeper voice than you generally get from prog, and he has more restraint than the other members of the band. He can carry a melody and make a song resonate in your head long after the music has stopped.
Aside from the core of the band (Alessandro and Juliano), the rest of the band has been a revolving door of new members. They released their debut CD in 2001 and attracted the attention of several labels. They landed a deal with Hellion and continued to tour around Brazil. Another record came and went in 2004 before the band entered the recording studio once again and produced The Legacy of Gaia.
The music is good, extremely technically proficient in the vein of Dream Theater and Tool. Frequently you can detect mid-eastern and classical flavor which both add to the drama of the sound. Everyone does a great job but the only one to really stand above the others is the singer. He does have a slight accent but it doesn't interfere with the quality of his singing. The only problem is that sometimes they smother a good melody and a few songs are a little longer than they need to be.
The first track on the album, Nomad Soul, encompasses what Before Eden is all about. It is fast, upbeat and catchy. Nova is the most beautiful song on this album, very melodic and dynamic. Enemy Eve is almost as good with some great guitar-work that has a Spanish sound at times.
I am impressed with their musicianship and pleased with the catchiness of their music. The singer's voice is smooth and soothing. It is a good beginning and makes me curious about how this band will develop.