Review by Adam M on November 4, 2016.

Edensong have a neat way of incorporating flute into their songs. It’s an interesting progressive manner, for certain. Because of this element, this is not your typical prog release, however. It is instead a Jethro Tull inspired mixture of progressive and folk elements that are brought together in the most compelling manner possible.

This is thus music for fans of multiple different genres and should thus appeal to a variety of listeners. The guitar work matches the use of flute to make the songs breathe. Overall, there are a lot of things to like about Years in the Garden of Years. It has a very progressive flavor that lends itself to either the rock or metal versions of this sub-genre. Its use of the flute is excellent. The compositions are adventurous. The number of good traits for this album is difficult to fathom. This is why it’s a progressive music lover’s dream come true. There are simply enough musical palettes to interest practically anything with an interest for anything progressive. The songs have dynamics, but it’s really the variety of instrumentation that makes the biggest impact here. The flute is combined with guitar in the most thought provoking and compelling manners possible. The passages have both instruments used to their absolute fullest.

There is as much here for fans of Haken as there is for fans of the aforementioned Jethro Tull. This music has enough folk aspects to prevent it from being overly avant-garde, however. Thus the song-writing is very structured and keeps things in check quite well. It allows the songs to have enough twists and changes without becoming overly indulgent. There are many tracks that have an impact, but In the Longest of Days is certainly one of them. Years in the Garden of Years should be of immediate interest for anyone interested in progressive music.

Rating: 8 out of 10