16 hours ago2 min read

Eyes - 'Auto-Magic'

I do prefer ‘Mysterious Ways’, which has a bit more of an AOR feel to it; coupled with some nice keys, it is a real highlight.

Close-up of a stylized eye with a yellow ring, gray background. Text reads "EYES" at top and "AUTO-MAGIC" at bottom, creating a mysterious mood.

Eyes, the Swedish Melodic Rock band, return with ‘Auto-Magic’. This is the follow-up to the promising ‘Perfect Vision’, which was their debut three years ago. It is safe to say that they are operating in a somewhat crowded market; so... do they have anything different to offer?

Opener ‘Soldiers Of Love’ is one of the album’s heaviest numbers; it is quite catchy throughout, especially the chorus. I do prefer ‘Mysterious Ways’, which has a bit more of an AOR feel to it; coupled with some nice keys, it is a real highlight. I also liked ‘Until The End Of Time’, which has a Europe feel to it, with its slow introduction; it builds with a heavy guitar riff, and keys come to the fore. ‘What Money Can’t Buy’ passed me by a bit, I am afraid; it sounds a bit like a poor man’s KISS. The moody ‘Innocent Dreamer’ is slightly better, with its Whitesnake tones and some nice guitar work.

The second half of the album gets underway with the mid-tempo ‘Through The Night’, a pleasant song which is easy on the ear. I was wondering if we were going to get a power ballad, and we do with ‘Sailing Ships Across The Ocean’; again, this track is fine, but it is nothing out of the ordinary. It does, however, highlight the vocals of Peter Andersson, which may not be to everyone’s taste, but the playing on this song is of the highest order. The pace picks up again with ‘Don’t Stop The Night’ with its chugging guitar riff. I have warmed to the catchy ‘Any Way You Dream’, which is quite melodic, whilst the title track closes proceedings; it's slightly longer, and isn’t a bad way to close the record.

To sum up, this album is okay, but it doesn’t re-invent the wheel, and some of you may struggle with the vocals. If I am honest, I was probably expecting a little bit more from it. I think that the band will really have to pull out all of the stops on album number three, or I fear they may be lost in the ether of Scandinavian Melodic Rock bands.

Reviewer: Richard Epps

Label: GMR

Genre: Melodic Rock

Issue Reviewed In: 109

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