West of Eden
by HMLTD
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 31
  3. Negative: 2 out of 31
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  1. alexix7
    Feb 10, 2020
    10
    Absolutely stunning. HMLTD are mixing musical genres with such an ease and the result is totally thrilling debut album. Lead singer has fine colourful voice, drums are inovating, but what makes West of Eden really special, are guitars. I hope HMLTD will get well deserved recognition for this album, nomination for the Mercury prize would be absolutely amazing. Keep going, lads!

    Best    Absolutely stunning. HMLTD are mixing musical genres with such an ease and the result is totally thrilling debut album. Lead singer has fine colourful voice, drums are inovating, but what makes West of Eden really special, are guitars. I hope HMLTD will get well deserved recognition for this album, nomination for the Mercury prize would be absolutely amazing. Keep going, lads!

    Best songs: LOADED, Mikey´s Song, Where´s Joanna?, Death Drive    … Expand
  2. a_sebastian
    Feb 7, 2020
    8
    colourful, off control and generous. it's a pleasure listening to it, after all the patterned records that offerflow our favourite streaming services. but i must admit i have been expecting a bit too much of them, and didn't exactly get blasted. the best cuts, are those i have already delighted as they came out singles. death drive and Lula. the new songs, just don't deliver that hard.
  3. ITST43DON
    Feb 8, 2020
    10
    Best album of 2020! They'll struggle to beat this again, easy 10/10! Fantastic lyricism, perfect writing, but the guitar players are easily the best, especially James.
  4. vojtamarek
    Sep 10, 2020
    8
    Somewhere between eight and nine. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. This album is one of the best debuts I’ve ever heard and definitely on my Best of 2020 list. Just great. So damn great.
  5. Lajaleaa
    Jan 6, 2021
    8
    ( 83/100 )

    Desde Londres, esta nueva banda se sumerge violentamente entre todas sus intenciones, visiones y nos presenta el preludio de un movimiento musical polémico. No por las letras, sino por la producción, cuyo mayor crédito lo tiene Rodaidh McDonald. La banda deja en claro cual es y será su corriente musical y estilo pero, desde mi percepción, cae victima de la necesidad de    ( 83/100 )

    Desde Londres, esta nueva banda se sumerge violentamente entre todas sus intenciones, visiones y nos presenta el preludio de un movimiento musical polémico. No por las letras, sino por la producción, cuyo mayor crédito lo tiene Rodaidh McDonald. La banda deja en claro cual es y será su corriente musical y estilo pero, desde mi percepción, cae victima de la necesidad de originalidad y autenticidad. La producción se luce con tonos, arreglos, melodías y composiciones realmente atractivas y audaces, pero la banda busca romper con ese orden y mezclan corrientes que no necesariamente cuajan. Así se arruinan canciones que pudieron ser perfectas, pero cuando el experimento tiene éxito, las canciones son suficientemente solidas. De cualquier forma, la experiencia es entretenida y para un publico amplio que promete innovación y genialidad en el futuro.
    -
    From London, this new band dives violently deep between all of their intentions, visions and presents the prelude of a polemical musical movement. Not because of the lyrics, but because of the production, of which Rodaidh McDonald takes most of the credit. The band makes it clear what their musical stream and style is and will be. But from my point of view, they fall victim to the need for originality and authenticity. The production shines with really attractive and audacious tunes, arrangements, melodies, and compositions, but the band wants to break with that order and mixes currents that don't necessarily jellify. That is how perfect songs get ruined, but when the experiment succeeds, songs are solid enough. Anyway, the experience is entertaining and for a wide public that promises innovation and genius in the future.    … Expand
  6. Spoonyon
    Feb 9, 2020
    8
    Colorful electro-punk bangers infused with various western carnival-esque twangs here and there. There's so much raw energy exploding out of this album, creative multifaceted songs and song topics. Every song has it's own unique and twisted story to tell. The project is one worth returning to and HMLTD is group worth paying attention to.
  7. Derrekfudge
    Feb 19, 2020
    10
    Incredible debut. Inventive band who is not afraid to push the boundaries of rock music (a dying genre) forward. Can’t wait for album 2. This one is already a classic.
  8. bjhh
    Jun 17, 2020
    9
    This album is brilliantly crafted. It is simply incredible how an album this ambitious in trying to achieve so many things actually manages to work. This is clearest in the transition from Loaded to 'Calamity' to To The Door. It goes from straight-forward straight-speaking rock, to an interlude that wouldn't be out of place in a western and then a country-style-experimental track. The twoThis album is brilliantly crafted. It is simply incredible how an album this ambitious in trying to achieve so many things actually manages to work. This is clearest in the transition from Loaded to 'Calamity' to To The Door. It goes from straight-forward straight-speaking rock, to an interlude that wouldn't be out of place in a western and then a country-style-experimental track. The two tracks of Joanna and Where's Joanna? work to create a gripping segment of the album with a thought provoking concept around suppressing your true identity. This album would have scored a 10 if Blank Slate was the final track. Blank Slate is truly fantastic and one of my tracks of the year. It is a rousing call to action that anyone can do anything and be anything to leave their mark on the world "rally through the squares, the world is ours and the world is a blank slate." Given recent events (BLM protests), it seems almost prophetic! Rather than end here, this track is followed up by probably War is Looming; probably the least interesting track on the record. This should not detract from the fact that the rest of this album is extremely good. HMLTD manage to create a sound that is clearly their own without confining themselves to a particular genre. The only way they can be categorised is probably "Bands 'Sports Team' don't like!"… Expand
  9. smolheartbigpp
    Jul 31, 2020
    8
    There are so many bad Post-Punk Revival bands out there, they all lack songwriting skills, and that's where HMLTD shines on this record. The closer is the only track that lacks good songwriting, except that the whole album is well crafted with amazing instrumental and personality. One of the best debut of 2020.
  10. HG_Kitara
    Nov 20, 2020
    8
    HMLTD's debut is exactly what you'd expect from the collection of singles they've released the past few years. The seamless flow between genres is magical. West of Eden leaves you wanting more, and I'm very excited to see what this band has planned in the future!
  11. MarcRoig
    Apr 12, 2023
    9
    Amazing album. Eclectic, exciting and very well produced. Sometimes it feels overacted but I think that it's part of the artist's theatricality.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Paste Magazine
    Feb 18, 2020
    80
    Despite the high barrier to entry, West of Eden crowns HMLTD as one of few bands with a serious claim to artistic vision and sonic uniqueness.
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  2. The Quietus
    Feb 10, 2020
    50
    West of Eden is a flawed album, a patchy album, and an album with some really bad lyrics in it. But nonetheless a very fun record. It might lose its magic quickly, as most of the thrill comes from the band’s willingness to skip from genre to genre, but every so often you can forget the flaws and get lost in the many worlds it tries to create.
    Read full review
  3. musicOMH.com
    Feb 7, 2020
    100
    What we’ve got now is a world full of millennials that have grown up to make art about these injustices. HMLTD have done just that, focusing their trials and tribulations through a magnifying glass to burn us mere ants. And oh, how I love a bit of self-immolation.
    Read full review
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