EXIT EDEN was born as a side project of four female singers to make a Symphonic Metal version of old Pop, Rock ‘n’ Roll and AOR hymns. This info isn’t new at all, and everyone knows it prior to their first album, “Rhapsodies in Black” (released back in 2017). But as time passes by and things evolve and change, the singer Amanda Somerville left the band to focus her attention on their children and the band decided to keep as a trio (with the Brazilian singer Marina La Torraca, the French singer Clémentine Delauney and the German-American singer Anna Brunner). And some surprises can be heard on their second and latest release, “Femmes Fatales”. Stylistically, the trio still holds its attention to Symphonic Metal covers, and here some can be heard on personal lectures of the band, but this time, they had a change of heart and present to the fans songs of their own, composed by Anna along Hannes Braun of KISSIN’ DYNAMITE (except for “Dying in my Dreams”, that was co-written by Marina).

So the album is 50% of Metal versions for old songs of the genres written above with a Symphonic Metal outfit, and 50% of their own songs. Obviously comparisons can arise, but the trio shows energy and personality in each moment of the album, even on the covers (they do not only reproduce things, but breathe new life onto them). It can be said a step ahead of their first album, so what are you expecting to dive into it and have some fun? Hannes not only helped on the writing of the songs, but recorded, produced and mixed the songs of “Femmes Fatales”, and the mastering was done by the hands of Jacob Hansen. The level of quality of the final result is high, with everything sounding loud, clean, distorted and heavy, in a way that can be said as ‘standard model’ for the genre. And as guest, here is Marko Hietala giving a taste of his voice on “Run!”.

The choice for the covers is really amazing, because no one denies that “It’s a Sin” (PET SHOP BOYS), “Separate Ways” (JOURNEY), “Désenchantée” (MYLÈNE FARMER), “Poison” (ALICE COOPER), “Alone” (HEART), and “Kayleigh” (MARILION) are excellent, and their musical efforts brings them into a Symphonic Metal trend, but always respecting their inner features. On the other hand, “Femme Fatale” (a heavy and thunderous song with excellent guitars), “Run!” (this one show a clear Symphonic Metal song with some Folk adornments and elements, and with an accessible appeal, with the contrasts of voices heard on it boost things up), “Buried in the Past” (another accessible moment with excellent grandiose melodies), “Dying in my Dreams” (impossible to not surrender to the silky melodic appeal heard on this one), “Hold Back Your Fear” (such melodic accessibility contrasts a lot with the Symphonic appeal and weight of the rhythms) and “Elysium” (excellent chorus, indeed) are depicting a bend between Symphonic Metal elements with a dose of accessibility (maybe a consequence of the inner idea behind on the band’s conception), but it’s an excellent thing as well.

As final words, it’s clear that the band shows more ambitious intentions on “Femmes Fatale” than in its beginning. But let the sirens of EXIT EDEN show what they got, and enjoy.