Article by: Jason Robey

“Fire, my heart’s on fire, running straight into the acid rain” rings in the dramatic and subdued first 20 seconds of Universe, the new album from L.A. hard rock group, Edge of Paradise. As the song suddenly explodes into a wall of razor-sharp guitar riffs, the mood abruptly changes to the frantic pace that dominates the rest of the album.

“Electrify,” the second track on the album, builds on an interesting, middle-eastern-inspired melody, showing off the smooth beauty of Margarita Monet’s vocal style and incredible range. The title track to Universe provides a glimpse of the group’s experimental side, grabbing the listener with riveting effects and synth layers.

The album’s only slow song, “World,” offers a haunting piano line, laced with echoing vocals and tension-building drums. The tension finally breaks as the song hits its final chords, giving way to “Perfect Disaster,” a straight-forward hard rock anthem that begs to have an arena stomping along to its thunderous rhythm.

On Universe, Edge of Paradise draws on their heavy metal, industrial and classical influences to create an interesting collection of songs that are simultaneously unique and familiar. Guitarists Dave Bates and David Ruiz construct a musical bed of chords and riffs that complement the tight bass lines and booming percussion from the rhythm section of Vanya Kapetanovic and Jimmy Lee. Edge of Paradise kicks off a European tour with Sonata Arctica this week through the end of 2019, follow them on social media for updates on U.S. dates.