The Summary Judgment Reviews:

	Title: In Search of Truth Artist: Evergrey Label: InsideOut Music Release Date: 9/18/01 Rating: 5 Skulls
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Reviewed by Solomon (11/7/01):
Evergrey is a Swedish gem whose presence has been masked by the overwhelming amount of attention given to the melodic death metal scene. In fact, I think these guys are from Gothenburg, to boot. Hopefully, their new deal with InsideOut Music and distribution through Century Media will give this band the publicity they deserve. This is melodic metal with a capital "M." Tom Englund forsakes the death grunt in favor of playing it straight. "State of Paralysis" and "Different Worlds" prove he possesses true vocal talent that goes beyond mere metal screaming and yelling. The music itself has qualities you'd expect from this neck of the woods, but any comparisons to In Flames or Children of Bodom would be off-base. Sure, the punchy, complex guitar riffing is there, but the double-axe attack is balanced by keyboard shadings, choral additions, and an overall smoother approach to songwriting.
Current fans of Evergrey should not be disappointed, and new ears should find something unique about this record. The ingredients are not new, but the band puts them together in a way that gives them their own identity. Much of this has to do with Englund's clean voice, which sounds natural and does not try to imitate a Dickinson or a Tate. The keyboards, background singers, and style of guitar riffs bring to mind the word "progressive," but there is no Dream Theater cloning going on here (although "Different Worlds" does remind me of "Wait For Sleep" a little). No ten-minute wank sessions here, either. Everything is song-orientated, heavy, gothic, and slick in presentation. The powerful sing-along chorus of "The Masterplan," the leaden intro to "Rulers of the Mind," and the machine-gun rhythm of "Watching The Skies" are some of the album's highlights, but this whole thing is a class act from start to finish. I have to say the guitar riffs on the band's debut The Dark Discovery had more teeth, felt more rhythmic, and pulled me in tighter than the stuff on this release, but I can hardly complain about the work done on In Search of Truth. This is a release from a top-notch group who should be dominating the planet some time soon.

Death's Review:
The new Everygrey album, In Search for Truth is one of the finest examples of an album from a "new" artist (read: post- Queensryche, Fates Warning and Dream Theater) in the progressive/power metal genre I've heard in some time (unfortunately, I've yet to experience their prior to releases which, as I understand it, are import-only in the U.S.). Attendees at this weekend's ProgPower festival in Atlanta are surely in for a real treat. For their debut American offering, Evergrey offer a concept album on par with classics such as Operation: Mindcrime and Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory. Progressive instrumentation with clear, layered guitar tomes over manicly complex and emotive drumming surrounded by interesting, expressive keyboard sounds and dark, heavy and rhythmically varied riffs comprise the exciting musical bed. Tom Englund's vocals are fantastic as well, although they tend to be more in the Coverdale/Tony Martin vein than in the Halford/Tate/LaBrie variety (read: not a lot of high pitched warbling). The end result is a well-thought-out, dark, somber, introspective concept record about a man who is troubled by memories of an alien abduction which his psychologist helps him to comprehend. The music can appeal to fans of European power metal and fans of American Dream Theater-style prog at the same time-opener "The Masterplan" is an excellent example of the balance between each of these styles. All told, there are very few records released in this genre that have impacted me as immediately as have Evergrey. Nevermind the excellent production from King Diamond guitarist and Everygrey "sixth member" Andy LaRocque, these musicians playing these songs would sound good however the album had been recorded.

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