Edensong - The Fruit Fallen (2008)

US band Edensong has a history that goes back to the progressive metal band Echoes of Eden, an active unit back in the 1990's featuring Benjamin Wigler, Tony Waldman, Alex Hornbake and James Byron Schoen. When that band disbanded, following the release of a solitary album, Schoen decided to form a new band in the fall of 2002, alongside Matt Cozin (drums). Fellow Echoes of Eden member Ben Wigler subsequently joined.The three worked on new material, as well as old Echoes of Eden material, but after a short while Ben left the band.

James and Matt moved on and decided to develop 3 hours of what they called 'surrealistic pseudo-rock-opera', involving a lot of the music they wrote earlier. They joined forces with some other musicians, Ian Carbone (bass), Aurora Maoz (flute), and Asa Sourdiffe (violin, keyboard). The initial performance in April 2003 motivated the band to go on a live tour, but the rehearsal schedule and antics involved in this "Beyond Eden" project was too much for Aurora and Asa, who were replaced by Rachel Kiel (flute) and Mike Drucker (violin). After touring, this line up started working on the material that would eventually become the debut album "The Fruit Fallen". During the work, Arthur Sugen joined on piano and organ, and Ian Carbone was replaced by T.D. Towers on bass.

In 2005 and 2006 the band played an extensive list of live shows for a growing amount of followers, but in the spring 2006 the tensions of touring led to a complete band break up.
James Byron Schoen found himself alone, and focused again on getting the album done. All material recorded when the band was still together needed to be mixed, and remixed (with an occasional overdub). In October 2007 "The Fruit Fallen" was mastered by Bob Katz then released in the summer of 2008. The album provides an outtake of material developed throughout the various band line ups, and was recorded before the band disbanded. After the release, James started working on getting together a new band to tour with and promote the material. This new version of the band eventually settled with Schoen joined by his old band mate from Echoes of Eden, Tony Waldman (drums), alongside previous Edensong member TD Towers (bass) and new recruits Stefan Paolini (keyboards) and Barry Seroff (flute).

Come 2009 and Edensong was booked to perform at the progressive rock festivals Progday and The Three Rivers progressive rock festival, and the following year they were booked for the Canadian Terra Incognita festival as well. The band also released an album in 2010, "Echoes of Edensong", consisting of some new material, some reworked material from the Echoes of Eden days and some live recordings from recent concerts.

This new line-up of Edensong have proved to be a stable one. While they weren't all that visible in the years following 2010, the band had been hard at work from that year and onward, writing, recording and reworking material for a sophomore studio album. Following a handful of years of preparation they were ready with their new CD. This sophomore production, named "Years in the Garden of Years", was released through noted US label The Laser's Edge in the fall of 2016.

The music of Edensong is an interesting mixture of heavy and symphonic prog, progressive folk and even some RIO/Avant influences here and there. As one collaborator of ProgArchives put it after being introduced to the band: "Jethro Tull meets Dream Theater meets Yes. It's amazing-sounding stuff".