Eidola have crafted a perfectly lush, stunning conclusion to their double album with the latest in the series, Mend. Following last year’s darker and more all-consuming Eviscerate, the Salt Lake City group’s latest release tackles the brighter side of the human condition, touching on love, forgiveness and acceptance throughout thirteen sweeping, stunning tracks.
Driven by poetic, vivid lyricism, cinematic songwriting and stunning vocals, Mend is easily some of Eidola’s best work yet. While the album’s concept is very clear, it never overshadows the stellar songwriting that fans have come to expect from the band. In fact, it only elevates it, proving that Eidola are capable of effortlessly nailing both the dark and light sides of their sound. While I would recommend listening to Eviscerate and Mend back-to-back to get the full experience, Mend also stands strong all on its own and will surely find listeners coming back to find something new to love each time.
Sonically, Mend finds Eidola spreading their wings in tracks like the poppy “Prodigy”, the technically sound “Empire Of Light” and the heavier “Kaleidoscope”, while the gentle piano-driven ballad, “Renaissance” offers a lovely reprieve. Easily the strongest run on the album comes within the final three songs, which should absolutely be listened to back to back – they feel like an epic conclusion.
While a lot can be said about the technical songwriting, sweeping guitar hooks and insane bass lines throughout the entirety of the album, the one thread that ties each song together is definitely the lyrical content. Each song on the album finds vocalist Andrew Wells opening his heart and spilling his innermost thoughts for fans to hear. Themes of love, acceptance, forgiveness and searching for inner peace can be found throughout the entire album, opening with “Prodigy” in lines like, “I found a new sense of purpose” or “What It Means To Be Alone” in the line, “Wanna be the change I wish to see / Wanna be the man I’m supposed to be.”
Mend is the type of album that truly has everything; a solid theme, strong songwriting, exploration of the band’s sound and poetic, relatable lyrics to top everything off. It not only serves as the perfect counterpart to Eviscerate, but also proves that Eidola are capable of just about anything.