eken is dead

Hello guys, we just listened to your album "Amendment." several times and the songs are excellent!! Especially love the fact that not every song sounds exactly alike is very refreshing...Love the vocals which come together great with the guitar, bass, and drums!! Very impressive considering that you have only been together since late 2007! We look forward to catching a show in the very near future..." - Local Music Scene Fanzine

https://www.cdbaby.com/Picks/83 - CDBaby.com

I've no idea who Eken is, or when he died, one thing is for sure, this cd ain't called Eken as the music on here is truly alive. Eken Is Dead are from Los Angeles and this quartet have got a fantastic groove going on.
When you hear a new band for the first time, you almost immediately think "that bit sounds like so and so, the vocalist sounds like, singer A" etc... I can quite easily make the same comparisons here, but mainly with the vocals. I'd say that Eken Is Dead frontman Chris Navarrete sounds like a cross between Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell when he uses his clean voice, when he starts to crank it up a few notches, then a more hardcore version of

Zack de la Rocha springs to mind. When it comes to the music, then I think they've got something quite original going on. And whatever style you want to lump this in with, you cannot deny the energy these guys create. There's a huge groove going on and the pace can be switched up instantly and the whole package just feels so alive and I just love drummer Jack Espinoza's busy style, which seems to drive the music on at every opportunity.
I was quietly sitting here thinking that Eken Is Dead also sounded like another band, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, when, completely by chance, I checked their Myspace page and the answer was staring right back at me. Canobliss. Canoblissare another Californian band who I think are fantastic and I can imagine these 2 bands going on the road together and kicking up an absolute storm. And both bands are shining examples of some of the quality underground bands doing the rounds right now.
Eken Is Dead remind me of when I first heard Pearl Jam or the first time I heard Rage Against The Machine... utterly blown away. - www.live4metal.com

When I'm contacted by an modern American rock or metal band for review, I normally cringe. Constant readers know that we're rather large skeptics of what passes for mainstream American rock and metal. The former believe they are less sellouts than Hinder or Nickelback. The latter think they are more novel and certainly more contrasting than all metal combined. Both think they're not reinventing the wheel.

Then there are those from California: ever since Haight-Ashbury, Jane Fonda and Jerry Brown, they all think that everything from Napa Valley to East LA to the Santa Ana winds gives them special inspiration. (And if you're not catching the sarcasm now, quit reading.) Then along comes a band like Eken Is Dead who, like their notable cohorts Canobliss, are both highly talented and severely unrecognized (except maybe in their corner of the globe).

First, I'll get the bad news off my chest about the things that really put me off. There's too much screamo vocals and too little serious fret work on 'Amendment' to please me. Generally, Navarrette is clean and clear for a start, but then drifts to the severe, bent to the ground, microphone in the esophagus screaming on most songs. On the last three songs, he's like a man having his toenails pulled out by Osama Bin Laden's henchmen. I only wanted to turn him off so I could hear the good stuff, the music (I could have easily stopped after 'The Glue'). Also, though there's generous and meticulous riffing on 'Amendment,' I didn't hear an identifiable and vibrant guitar solo until the fifth song, 'Affliction' (very good; the solo that is, not the lack of them).

Additionally, the angry, angst ridden and 'just shoot me' lyrics are not only depressing but, frankly, creep me out. If you are at all depressed, then do not listen to 'Rock Bottom' where Navarrette cries, 'Every time I live I want to die.' Even the noticeably duplicitous Obama gives us a measure of hope after he tells us the economy is going to hell. If despairing or faithless, do not hearken to 'rtb' where we hear: 'I need a reason to believe, That this world isn't f*cked and rigged, And crashing down on me, I need a reason to believe.' Cripes, I'm not looking for bubble gum, feel good pop music here and honesty has its merits, but chill out guys, it ain't all that bad. (Now I know why the Gideons put Bibles in motel rooms. Our lyricist should really look up John 10:10 next time he's on the road.)

Unfortunately, these aforementioned things are part and parcel of what is the essence, and major selling points, of current American modern rock.

Now, the very good news: though mostly following modern American trends, Eken Is Dead delivers some true inspiration in their song composition turning those same trends on their heads. Throughout 'Amendment' there is a healthy undercurrent of fusion as Eken expertly and deftly blends hard rock, heavy metal, groove metal, and very subtle, some jazz notions. Two standouts that come to mind are 'Falls' and ambitious and outstanding 'The Glue.' With the exception of the mundane screamo/metalcore pieces 'Amendment' and 'Shackled,' this thread is tightly woven within this disc. Even with my earlier remarks, when Navarrette isn't tanning the leather of his lungs, his vocals are both stirring and sublime. And Arevalo has some fine licks sounding more than inspired on 'Affliction' and 'Falls.' But he still needs more of a presence, much more. As for the rhythm section, Almanza has a solid and sweet touch on bass and drummer Espinoza plays with clarity and passion.

Even though modern American rock still annoys and befuddles my sensibilities, Eken Is Dead and their fine work, 'Amendment,' gives cause to be encouraged. Their talent and strength is in their provocative and eclectic fusion of rock and metal which easily and thankfully overturns any mundane modern music undercurrents they may have. - www.dangerdog.com

Hardcore!! 5 stars
by LAlove09-April 19, 2009
If you thought the CD was freakin' amazing...check them out LIVE!!! i heart EID!

EID Rocks!!! 5 stars
by ziggy deathstar-Jan 14, 2009
Amendment, a provocative and influential first album, touched me in an unholy place. YES!!! - www.itunes.com

EKEN IS DEAD hailing out of the South Bay area of Los Angeles are on a mission of dominance. Their relentless drive, high energy shows, and a road schedule that would make your average rock band quiver at the knees has set them apart from their peers. Their debut cd "Amendment" recently released in the summer of 2008 is jam packed with some driving tunes. These guys have no shortage of influences but manage to mold a sound of their own. Their diverse backgrounds and styles have allowed them to develop into a cauldron of madness. They combine hard rock, metal, punk, funk, and then some. Each song has it's own voice from angst to rebel yells to mantras of independence. With only a year and a half together these guys have grown immensely as a band.

Lead vocalist Chris Navarrete leads the boys into battle each night. From one song to the next, he covers the gamut of catchy hooks on ROCK BOTTOM to the aggressive determination of their title track AMENDMENT. Lead guitarist Vic Arevalo also delivers both on stage and on the album tracks. His diverse influences come through in his writing and performance. This CD is chock full of chunk and melody. From haunting volume swells on the ROCK BOTTOM intro to a dismembering riff a couple minutes into SHACKLED. Eric Almanza holds down the low end on bass while keeping pace on stage as well. His sound cojures up memories of much earlier bands like Black Sabbath to more recent heavy hitters Rage Against The Machine. He is a force to be reckoned with. Last, but by no means least, is Jack Espinoza pounding the skins like a mad man. From solid in the pocket grooves to techincal brilliance Jack has honed his sound to be the backbone of the band. Together Eken Is Dead is born out of a passion to rewrite the book on what hard rock is supposed to be, uncompromising raw pure energy. Don't miss out on their newly released video for CONDITION, online and garnering rave reviews by peers and fans alike.

This band has just begun to kick ass and take names. They have already covered all of the Southwestern states for California to Texas with great response to their relentless live shows. If you see these guys coming to your town prepare yourself for pure indulgence in the pit. Don't miss out on a great album and possibly an even better live show. Eken may be dead but these guys are going to be around for awhile! - Samson Pedroza, Lead Guitarist CANOBLISS