Review: “The All Seeing Eye: Part 2” by Age of Emergence

In April 2024 Newcastle Australian Progressive Metal trio Age of Emergence unveiled their first material with the addition of drummer Adam Clayon in EP “The All Seeing Eye: Part 1“. A well received record, it paved the way for the band to play a national tour with first time stops in the cities of Brisbane and Melbourne, their first international support slot with European heavyweights Enforcer and a powerful performance at at Metal United Down Under in Dubbo. Returning to the studio the trio had a vision for a sequel with themes of human connection, defiance and hope. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Rhys Zacher (Exit for Freedom) at ‪Spin Light Studios‬, this is “The All Seeing Eye: Part 2“…

The band comment: “This song is about how the system is strangling us. We’re watching the world change, and people are just trying to hold on. Greed and power have created a mountain too steep for many to climb.”

It might only be three tracks but “The All Seeing Eye: Part 2” by Age of Emergence runs to almost twenty two minutes of new material with opening track “Voice of the Lost” sonically seemingly taking inspiration from the likes of Mastodon. A song about finding common ground in a world in which the powers that be seek to divide and conquer, it’s a piece with a powerful sentiment that will cause you to pause for thought long after your ears have stopped ringing. A stompy main riff will get the heads banging and guitar layering has been put to great use to add a tasteful solo without leaving the bass and drums to carry the rhythm. It’s the nuanced complexities with little bass pops and fleeting technical moments in the turn around of the riff that make it stand out from the pack, the soulful vocals masterfully done. Tribal drum sounds give life to “Mountains Greed” a song which has the atmosphere of Alice In Chains in Progressive Metal setting and finds Clayton proving why he’s such a great fit for this band behind the drum stool. Again the lyrics resonate as Dean Holmes and Matt Neilson muse on how humanity suffers at the hands of corrupt corporations and greedy politicians who seek to remain in power while lining their own pockets. Its the final third where the song really comes into its own with heavier riffs making way for spellbinding solo as the trio flirt with Traditional Heavy Metal tropes. “Twilight Zone” approaches eight minutes in captivating fashion with soulful meandering sounds echoing the kind of thing Dream Theater produced in the 1980’s as Age of Emergence twist and turn through the never. It may not have the heavier moments of the earlier pairing but it makes up for that in other ways, confirming that the band have a lot of life left in them yet [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Voice of the Lost
2. Mountains Greed
3. Twilight Zone

“The All Seeing Eye: Part 2” by Age of Emergence is out 1st December 2025 and is available over at bandcamp