Artist: Evergrey
Label: InsideOut Music America
Release Date: 4/27/04
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Title: The Inner Circle Artist: Evergrey Label: InsideOut Music America Release Date: 4/27/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
This is my first significant time with Evergrey. The biggest reason for this is that I always get them confused with other bands, like Evereve, The Everdawn, etc., and the other reason is everyone who knows me asks me if I've heard them and then says, "You'll hate them." Obviously there hasn't been much driving me towards them, and with my schedule the way it is, I have very little time to experiment with new bands.
"One word review: Interesting." After listening to The Inner Circle I can see why most of my friends think I would hate the band. Evergrey play a dark, progressive style of metal that reminds me of something between later years Cemetery and Dream Theater, and with my hatred of DT well documented (except the new album), one would think there would be little on this album to hold my attention. But the truth is I would be hard pressed to say I hate this band. In fact, there is a lot of stuff on this album that I find compelling. The vocals are unique and emotive, the melodies can be haunting, and the songwriting is quite impressive in its own right. Of course, all that being said, this album does annoy the piss out of me.
While all of the impressive qualities I listed above are included on this record, they are not present at all times. In fact, sometimes they are few and far between. And while this band has a unique and morosely exciting sound on their heavier and more up-tempo songs, their drippy ballads are largely (but not totally) the cookie-cutter pap found on just about every prog/metal hybrid. This is a concept album (relatively short at only a little over 45 minutes), and between the ballads and the overdone mood-setting atmospheric stuff and the drawn-out preacher voiceovers, there simply isn't that much really impressive material volume-wise. I felt like it is constantly setting me up for something big that never comes.
So, all in all, there is definitely some cool stuff going on with this band, and even though it's not really my type of thing I can see why they've had a growing and vocal fanbase. So I guess I like Evergrey, but I find listening to the entire album a chore. I could easily put a few of their songs on my more melodic mixes, however. And hell, if Dream Theater could turn around in my eyes, I could see these guys doing the same thing and bringing me fully on board in the process. One word review: Interesting.
Death's Review:
Evergrey are an amazingly talented band who are really starting to come into their own and stand out as a leader of the modern progressive metal scene. The conceit is that they employ a bit of a pure hard rock/classic rock aesthetic. Think old, classic Whitesnake or Deep Purple. They combine those sensibilities with those of Dream Theater and Symphony X. They definitely have a certain catchiness. Tom Englund has a unique gravelly style voice, which stylistically is not really my favorite but stands out amidst the neverending sea of metalcore screamers and power metal contortionists.
"Talented musicians playing interesting and original music." The Inner Circle continues with that tradition. There are some really heavy parts and cool metal riffs, like "More Than Ever." There are really mellow Pink Floydian parts like the old man's rant throughout "The Essence of Conviction." Mellow, head space stuff, cheesy 80's rock emotion and intense, classic hard rock and melodic prog metal mixed together is the essence of Evergrey. This is generally too mellow for me to listen to a lot or for me to want to crank while driving around. But it is very good for what it is, perhaps not as memorable overall as were the video songs for Reckoning Day but still really cool. Talented musicians playing interesting and original music. Again, not totally to my personal taste, but only slightly so. I pretty much do like it a lot, but something holds me back from taking it all the way to that fifth skull. I think it's pretty much his voice at some points and some of the sappier parts.
Hel's Review:
It was with interest that I ventured into the newest effort from Sweden's Evergrey. I have their previous two albums, and while I have listened to them both, I had never gotten very deeply involved in either. The recent airplay that Evergrey has gotten on MTV2, most notably with their outstanding video for "I'm Sorry" from Recreation Day, has certainly peaked my interest and has caused the song to be stuck in my head constantly for a few weeks now. I was eagerly anticipating seeing them for the first time at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, and was extremely bummed when they were bumped from the bill.
"Definitely a band you should check out if you have not yet had the pleasure." So I have tried to console myself with the records that I have in my collection. For the most part, Evergrey has remained very consistent across all three of these records. The musicianship and songwriting are high quality and are constant from album to album. Like its two predecessors, The Inner Circle contains a mixture of slower ballads and heavier tunes. Though they did not seem to use the spoken word device on the last album, they return to it again on the final two tracks of the new one, and I have to admit, I would like the album better overall if these were not present. Though they are no doubt pertinent to the story being told, I do not enjoy them. The rest of the album, however, I do indeed enjoy very much.
Were it not for my distaste for the spoken word sections, this effort may well have netted the full five skulls. As it stands, however, I feel I must deduct a skull for the intensity with which I dislike those parts of the last two tracks. Evergrey fans should find this new effort much to their liking for they stay very true to their prog/power without the high whiny male vocals formula. Definitely a band you should check out if you have not yet had the pleasure. I look forward to finally seeing them live when they come through L.A. in a couple of weeks.
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