Album review: EDEN SHADOW – Melodies For Maladies

EDEN SHADOW - Melodies For Maladies

White Knight Records [Release date 07.10.16]

Eden Shadow is the brainchild/vehicle for the explosive talents of young Welsh singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Elliot (guitars and keyboards), and fellow band members Alex Broben (bass) and Aled Lloyd (drums).

They’ve already established a repartee with some of the ‘old guard’ with Hawklord Nik Turner making a guest appearance on flute on their debut album Phases (2014), and fellow Welsh progger Rob Reed lending a hand on video and EP releases.

With the ‘usual’ influences from King Crimson and Floyd through to Porcupine Tree, the thing that struck me most about Melodies For Maladies is that it’s prog for a new generation.  Yes, there’s all the usual melodic subtlety, but it’s supplemented by angular, staccato, pseudo metal guitar work that leaves little room for ambivalence.

Old hands, who lived through the golden era, are likely to find that testosterone fuelled guitar work a little too abrasive for comfort, but it’s easy to see how for a generation raised on the likes of Dream Theater could succumb to the charms of Eden Shadow.

There’s some wonderful passages of play, and Melodies For Maladies is a hugely ambitious, and at times dense, piece of work which sees everything including jazz passages thrown into the melting pot.

At times, I yearned for more subtlety, and would have liked to see some of the youthful overabundance of ideas expanded and explored in greater depth, but then Melodies For Maladies isn’t aimed at old duffers like me.  You will, however, need to have at least a modicum of metal tolerance to get the most out of its varied pleasures.  ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio


David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
RIOGHAN Hands (Inverse Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)



Popular (last 10 days)


Please log in/register