Evergrey

[Vaenyr]

Torn
This is one of the few artworks in Evergrey discography that I genuinely like. Such a cool art style, but unfortunately a rarity. At least we didn't get a crying toddler again.

Broken Wings
This might be the most mid-2000s Evergrey have sounded so far. This song could be in the soundtrack of some Underworld Evolution type of movie and I wouldn't blink.
That said, I really enjoy the verse riff, especially the second half with the octave slides. The semi-spoken line in the second verse is a nice touch as well. Another thing I enjoy is how the chorus evolves, with the first one only being half as long and missing some of the harmonies that are added to the others.
The solo is simple, but the backing riff is pretty cool with the flurry of 16th notes towards the end of some of the measures. The production is pretty good overall and the bass has some nice grit to it.
The best part is the end of the final chorus transitioning to the octave slide riff from the first verse. Straightforward melodic heavy metal, 8/10.

Soaked
Prominent vocals by Tom to start this one. He sounds great, like always. The real meat of the song starts for the second verse where the guitars play a pretty catchy riff with a lot of variation.
I wonder if the chorus with the repetition of "27 years of [...]" is some kind of reference to Tom's life or if it's just an artistic choice. It is pretty catchy though. There are many parts of this song that keep getting stuck in my head.
I love the solo section and how it leads directly to the outro of the song, I just wish it didn't fade out. So unnecessary. Still, this is enough for an 8/10.

Fear
An aggressive riff to start with, to show how the first three songs all go for a very different feel and vibe. The chorus could've used a little bit of work, but it works either way.
I adore the "If I could I'd crown myself each day" part, which gets repeated later in the song to great effect.
We finally get a couple of riffs that aren't meant for verses, choruses or solos! It's just a short transition to the bridge, but I'll take it. I like how busy the guitars are during that part as well.
I'm sure if the album had more tracks like this one that its reputation within the fandom would be much better. The first 9/10 of the album.

When Kingdoms Fall
The transition from the previous track to this one is just plain weird. We get some phrygian riffing and a bit of a roller coaster with the tempo, before the song settles in a simple and subdued mid-tempo verse.
I gotta disagree with the other reviews, I've always loved the chorus of this one. Especially Tom's voice whenever he sings the final line. The second chorus, where that line leads into the fast paced instrumental section is pure hype!
Letting the rhythm guitars drop away, for the lead guitar and piano to carry the melody while the drums and bass chug along is an awesome moment.
It's obviously nothing spectacular or unique, but the way the final chorus keeps the double time rhythm of the previous section is great. Some of the vocal line variations are phenomenal as well. Another 9/10.

In Confidence
Weird intro leads into a chuggy riff, leads into a pretty awkward verse. I'm know we like to make fun of the lyrics quite often but:

When words mean nothing
Lack value and weight
All we have is nothing
What does nothing weigh?

are genuinely great lines. I also like the pre-chorus and chorus quite a bit. The rhythm guitar going crazy during the latter is always fun.
The first solo is competent but rather stock, the second with the different tempo is nice. Overall not a bad song but far from top-tier Evergrey. Guess I'll go with a 6/10.

Fail
This one never really clicked with me. There are some cool moments here and there, but the chorus is kinda awkward, the verses border on that as well. I think my issue is that the melodies for the chorus simply aren't strong enough for that type of song. That said, the instrumental section after the second chorus, while very simplistic, is genuinely nice and the highlight of the song for me.
I was ready to give this a 4/10 but I forgot how much I like the ending of the song. We needed more of the second half and less of the first. A balanced 5/10, I guess lol.

Numb
Great intro riff with some nice variations thrown in. The verse starts out kinda awkward again, the second half is better though. The chorus is pretty simple, but it works well.
The "breathe, breathe" part is pretty unique. It's a cool change of pace. The solo right afterwards feels almost like an afterthought. The ending on the other hand kinda falls apart. They kinda reprise the previous "breathe" part, but stripped it of its best parts. And we get another fade out, though on my version it's a bit weird and it doesn't fade to silence. It gets quieter and then changes to the next song. Gotta listen to the spotify version at some point to see if that's the intended behavior. Anyway, a step up from the previous song, 7/10.

Torn
I tend to give title tracks more leeway and more generous scores normally because I simply like the concept of them a lot. They're important enough to carry the album's name, they must be good songs, right? Well, this one is unfortunately rather weak.
The verse are okay I suppose. The chorus is nice (and there's a brilliant bass fill in the first one). The bass is actually one of the highlights of the song. The main acoustic riff is overused too much. It has a lovely atmosphere but we don't need to hear it between every section and as the fade out outro. I do like how Tom sings the final line though. 6/10.

Nothing Is Erased
A step up with a nice intro riff and some nice variations for the verses. The pre-chorus and chorus aren't anything unique but I like them well enough. The solos once again, while competently played, feel like after thoughts. A bit like going through a checklist. The outro is fun though. A 7/10.

Still Walk Alone
This one's a stinker. The verse is already kinda weird, but the chorus actively annoys me. One of the few Evergrey songs that I actually dislike. I guess the bridge is kinda cool. The riff for the solos sounds like Soundtrack-era In Flames. The post solo metalcore-y riff is awesome, but wasted on this song. Still a 3/10.

These Scars
I fucking adore the verse and how Tom sounds there. The way the chorus flirts with phrygian the first times around (though it's just playing with the scales) is brilliant and I particularly enjoy how the final chorus goes into a very different direction.
Carina's obviously always a welcome addition. Hey, we even get a 12/8 riff after the solo! Turns out they didn't forget how to write extended instrumental sections. We desperately needed more songs like this one, 9/10. The fade out's unnecessary though.

Caught In A Lie
This one should've been on the regular album, maybe in place of Still Walk Alone. It's pretty straightforward heavy metal/modern rock, but it fits with the rest of the album while retaining some really catchy melodies, both in the main riff and in the vocal lines. There are some parts that sound like they could've been from the next album. Kinda feels like foreshadowing.
Normally I'd criticize the subdued middle section, but considering how simplistic the other songs on the album are it's actually quite refreshing to get one song that breaks the mold, even if just a tiny bit. 9/10!

My current ranking of Evergrey songs:
1. Solitude Within
2. The Essence Of Conviction
3. At Loss For Words
4. Where All Good Sleep
5. Mark Of The Triangle
6. As I Lie Here Bleeding
7. A Touch Of Blessing
8. When Darkness Falls
9. Faith Restored
10. The Encounter

 

[MindRuler]

A Decade And A Half (2011)

This double disc compilation ends the first era of Evergrey. No songs from The Dark Discovery, mostly because of licence issues although 2 songs of that album appear here in a live version.
Also featured here: 2 acoustic live versions of Glorious Collision material. Strange choice to include the studio versions as well. For fans the bonusmaterial isn´t that exciting to buy the album (I don´t own this album btw) but for those new to the band it´s a great introduction!

 

[Vaenyr]

A Decade And A Half (2011)
View attachment 41744
This double disc compilation ends the first era of Evergrey. No songs from The Dark Discovery, mostly because of licence issues although 2 songs of that album appear here in a live version.
Also featured here: 2 acoustic live versions of Glorious Collision material. Strange choice to include the studio versions as well. For fans the bonusmaterial isn´t that exciting to buy the album (I don´t own this album btw) but for those new to the band it´s a great introduction!

I've never listened to that one, but I'll check out the couple of unique songs.

 

[MindRuler]

Hymns For The Broken (2014)

After a few disappointing albums Evergrey strike back with Hymns For The Broken! With the return of Henrik and Jonas the band gets a power injection, they sound so fresh too. As if Evergrey needed to proof they´re able to create a killer album. And a killer album it is! Great songs and the production is the best so far! I´d recommend to listen to this album with headphones. Stay tuned for the song review tonight and some interesting changes in the song Top 10! Evergrey 2.0 has arrived!

 

[MindRuler]

The Awakening
Sound of people in pain, helicopters, barking dogs...what's going on here? Then a soothing, whispering Tom and only a few piano notes. It creates a weird atmosphere and is of course only an intro to:
King Of Errors
Wow! Massive riff, captivating drums followed by a Queensryche riff and chugging guitars enter the song with sparse keyboards and great vocal lines. The chorus isn´t super catchy but works here. After the second verse we get a bridge that leads back to the chorus and a fantastic guitar solo followed by another, this time shredding one. Again the chorus which sounds even better now. Great ending riffs and keyboards fading out. What an opening track! 9/10
New Dawn
The song starts quite slow with doomy riffs accompanied by keyboards and then we get a tempo change! Incredibly tasty riff, then the tempo slows down again and Tom and keyboards appear. Super heavy part with a choir and a sound which reminds me of the second album. Chorus and bleeping sounds. Second verse and chorus. Piano break followed by a short bridge and solo 1 and 2. Chugging instrumental part, spacy keyboards fade out. 7/10
Wake A Change
Cool atmospheric intro created by keyboards and drums and Tom aaaah´s. Quite simplistic chorus and I´m also not a fan of the verses.
The chugging in the chorus after the bridge is cool and the solo followed by it is great! Yet not a big fan of it. 6/10
Archaic Rage
Nice intro riff, bombastic keyboards and then only Tom and piano. Chugging guitars in the second part of the verse. The slow chorus isn´t that catchy. In the second verse happens alot, chorus again. Faster part in the instrumental section! Oh yes here we get a great part! Chugging twin guitars! Lovely! Followed by a Maiden riff and Tom going quite high. Piano in the outro and chorus again. Heavy riffing and vocal sample of desperate people ending the song. 8/10
Barricades
Linkin Parkish intro! Slow verse building towards a climax in the chorus. Again the instrumental part of the intro and a gloomy Tom, maidenish riffs followed by a shredding almost bluesy solo (never expected in an Evergrey song) and the maidenish riffs again. Amazing vocal lines of Tom near the ending. 8/10
Black Undertow
Eerie keyboard intro. Tom singing in low register. Meaty riffing and vocal samples. Cool! Orchestration keyboards and the best chorus of the album so far! Chugging guitars, piano and next verse and chorus. Tom sings high again. What a performance in this song. Great guitarsolo, they create a fantastic atmosphere on this one. Drums getting heavier, you feel the song reaches its end. Another guitar solo at the end to finish this one as a 10/10
The Fire
Heavy riff intro, interesting bass lines and emotional Tom in the verse. Kids choir in the chorus and then Tom alone. But boys what a fantastic chorus! Verse two and then a short bridge with great bass work! And that chorus again, now only Tom singing it twice in multiple layers. Chugging guitars and gone. Great! 9/10
Hymns For The Broken
Supercatchy intro, abit cheesy first verse but the chorus is killer! Chugging guitars transition into the second verse which works better than the first one. After the chorus there's a question and answer guitar solo and then piano and Tom again. I just love the piano lines in the final chorus, they come back in the outro. Brilliant song! 9/10
Missing You
Ballad time. Only piano and Tom, this song has the vibe of Trilogy Of The Damned. I like how the song changes into minor key. 7/10
The Grand Collapse
Sci Fi-ish intro (I see Mulder and Scully in a field somewhere), chugging guitars and haunting keyboards. The song builds towards a climax before breaking open in a total riff fest and beast of a song! Very effective piano and Oh-oh´s. Quiet part again and vocal sample. Heavy riff, and then a mammoth of chugging, a Sabbathian part and the helicopters from the intro. Piano and heavy riffs. 9/10
The Aftermath
Weeping guitar and acoustic strumming intro. Then a piano and Tom starts the first verse.
One of his best performances so far on an Evergrey album. The Floydian weeping guitar returns and some more instrumentation. Around minute 3 there's a bloody gorgeous part where everything comes together and builds up toward the climax. What a way to end a fantastic album! 10/10

Evergrey Hymns For Top 10:
1. A Touch Of Blessing
2. Solitude Within
3. Recreation Day
4. Nosferatu
5. More Than Ever
6. Fail
7. The Aftermath
8. Black Undertow
9. End Of Your Days
10. She Speaks To The Dead

Interesting fact: No songs from In Search Of Truth survived and I rank that album 2d!

Evergrey Album Ranking:
1. Solitude Dominance Tragedy
2. In Search Of Truth
3. Recreation Day
4. Hymns For The Broken
5. The Inner Circle
6. Torn
7. The Dark Discovery
8. Monday Morning Apocalypse
9. Glorious Collision

 

[Vaenyr]

Glorious Collision

Leave It Behind Us
The intro is a simple i i VI VII, but damn if it's not effective. Great way to start the album, though the production takes some getting used to, especially the drum sound. I like the subdued verses with the chugging rhythm guitars and the gaps in between. The intro riff being reprised is a nice touch, but the first blunder is the chorus going half-time. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's something that will become veeery frequent with modern Evergrey, where you get these pummeling rhythms and riffs, only for the song to screech to a halt for a slow and "anthemic" chorus; a bit of pet peeve of mine.
The bridge after the second chorus shows what we should've gotten instead, just like the final chorus with its double time variation. Too little, too late though. Despite the weaker production, a big step up from most of the stuff we heard on Torn. They really need to chill with the fade outs though, 9/10.

You
The beginning sounds like a variation on More Than Ever. The verses aren't anything particularly exciting, the chorus on the other hand is super fun. The modal interchange, the driving drum groove, the simple vocal melodies and how the final line bleeds into the transitionary riff afterwards; brilliant stuff! Shoutout to the gnarly bass sound as well. The song refuses to introduce any new riffs, but at least we get a couple of variations and an extended instrumental section. This will thankfully improve somwhat in the coming albums again.
Carina spotted in the final chorus! I really enjoy how this one in particular keeps building in intensity. The piano outro is lovely, but far too long for the second freaking song of the album. And why the hell does this one fade out as well? How difficult is it to play one final chord and stay on that for a couple of seconds? Anyway, 8/10.

Wrong
Yeah, arguably the most mainstream-friendly and poppy Evergrey song so far, but damn if it's not great. So many beautiful melodies throughout. Shoutout to the synth patches on this album sounding especially good and modern. The instrumental section is phenomenal. Not really technically demanding or anything, but I like how it builds and once the choirs enter it sounds genuinely epic.
The key change towards the end and the almost happy sounding variation right before the final chorus caught me off guard the first time, pretty neat. The fade out's once again unnecessary. Really strong song, another 9/10.

Frozen
After a somewhat frantic intro the song takes a wild turn to a very different feeling verse. It works though. The way the drums smoothly shift into halftime towards the end of the verse is pretty neat. The pre-chorus is straight up power metal lol
The chorus is once again a slow, "anthemic" one. It's alright, but feels kinda formulaic. The instrumental sections aren't bad, the transitions between the different parts and riffs feel almost random and underbaked at points. A noticeable drop from the previous songs, 6/10. And another fucking fade out! What the hell was going on in 2011?

Restoring The Loss
Starts out as a rather generic modern metal song. Don't really care for the intro or the verse, the "repainting the shade of grey" line and the chorus right after are awesome though. The second round of verses are more interesting at the very least. We even get a bridge with some disorienting rhythms, fun! The twin leads in the ending are incredibly simple, but I'm a sucker for stuff like that. The drumming during that part is stellar as well with some really cool fills, but why do we get another fucking fade out?! Eh, 8/10.

To Fit The Mold
This one starts out rather unfocused. The acoustic parts are fine, the distorted chorus rather weak unfortunately. The second verse with the chugging guitars and heavily effect-laden vocals is cool though.
It's present on other songs as well, but I'm not a big fan of how the backing vocals are mixed at many points on this album. Tom's delivery for some of the lines is questionable as well. Probably the weakest he's sounded so far, which is a bummer.
Unfortunately a step back from the previous track, 5/10. But hey, at least there was no fade out!

Out Of Reach
The intro riff is quite cool, the verses promising, but the chorus once again doesn't really work for me. The melodies themselves aren't bad, but due to the aforementioned production issues they sound super weird. There are some neat harmonies buried in there, barely audible, while the lower octave is far too loud, robbing that part of much needed energy.
The solo is fine, I suppose. Some unfocused shredding towards the end. At least this didn't fade out either! 6/10.

The Phantom Letters
Hell freaking yeah, we finally get a song with some actual storytelling instead of a couple of thrown together riffs with melodies on top. The music evolves with the lyrics and the tension keeps building. There's some actual drama here and I adore it. Tom delivers some great performances and actually sounds awesome here. We needed more songs like that. "When the ashes fall from heaven, they fall as my confession" goes hard.
The chorus is brilliant and I love whenever the backing vocals throw in their "ashes fall!". It is kinda funny how Tom manages to get "ashes fall/ashes falls" both right and wrong in the same song multiple times lol
The bridge that starts out instrumentally, to then turn into a variation of one of the verses before transitioning to the solo; simple but tasty stuff. There solo is great as well. The little changes in chord progression for the final chorus are really fun. And the song has a proper, albeit rather abrupt, ending! My favorite on the album, 9/10.

The Disease...
Oh boy, the lyrics on this one. I get the sentiment, but the execution is rather clunky. The verses don't do anything for me, the chorus is awesome though. Kinda funny how this album has several songs were one of those is good and the other doesn't work, but rarely are both great.
The solo hand-off sounds strange, the playing itself is competent. This very brief transitory riff that is heard for one measure right before the first chorus and before the (super weird and unnecessary) outro riff is probably my favorite part of the song. Super simple, but genuinely beautiful. Unfortunately a step back again from the previous song, this is probably a 7/10.

It Comes From Within
Hell yeah, a pummeling riff after a brief eerie intro, that's the good stuff. The verse riff sounds once again like Reroute/Soundtrack-era In Flames funnily enough. The chorus is my jam, I really like it. 12/8 songs are my weakness.
The vocals in the verses are somewhat questionable, I'd love to hear a remade or live version of this one, there's a lot of hidden potential. The spoooky interlude is kinda cute, heh. The half time chorus, which I usually dislike, works for me thanks to the structure of the song. And it seems we're finally done with the fade outs! 8/10.

Free
This seems to be an unpopular song, but I've always liked it. There's something about the subdued and almost chill vibe of this one that really does it for me. The melodies are beatiful, Tom sounds pretty good and I like the lyrics for the most part. One of the few songs that properly benefits from this album's production.
This is one where I understand why they went for a fade out, but I still gotta say: No! Bad Tom! Stop that!
Another, 8/10.

I'm Drowning Alone
Gotta admit, this one's pretty forgettable and I barely remembered anything about it prior to listening to it. The transition riff prior to the verse is pretty cool. The rest is rather unremarkable and it feels a bit too formulaic and by the numbers, I guess. The weird production of the vocals doesn't help the various vocal layers either.
Goddamn, we even get a bit of Carina, completely forgot about that. What a waste of a guest appearance on that track. Right, we also get Tom and Carina's daughter! I genuinely like that part, it's haunting. The best I can give is a 4/10 though.

... And The Distance
(This one's connected to The Disease, right? Otherwise I'm not sure why both of them feature ellipses)
Weird choice for the closer of the album.
The chorus sounds like it's a variation on the chorus of The Disease, which would make sense if they're supposed to be connected. At least we finally get some more prominent contributions by Carina. She was weirdly underutilized on this album. The wonky lyrics really hurt this song in particular. There piano outro isn't particularly exciting either.
My version of the album includes the Carina version of this song. Not sure it was really necessary, but it is an interesting novelty to hear an Evergrey song with Carina on vocals. Kinda cute getting Tom to join the song in the way Carina usually does. Shame the song isn't that interesting in this version either. I don't have a particular preference, so I'll go with a 5/10. Not a bad song, but weirdly forgettable.

My current ranking of Evergrey songs:
1. Solitude Within
2. The Essence Of Conviction
3. At Loss For Words
4. Where All Good Sleep
5. Mark Of The Triangle
6. As I Lie Here Bleeding
7. A Touch Of Blessing
8. When Darkness Falls
9. Faith Restored
10. The Encounter

No changes to the top 10, though The Phantom Letters got really close! This album was in many way the stepping stone for what's about to come and most see this upcoming era as the second best (after the classic albums of course). I'll start writing down my notes for Hymns later when I'm on my way to the gym!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

HYMNS FOR THE BROKEN
Evergrey's sound continues to streamline with this one. The modern metal sad boi aesthetic remains, the proggy elements have virtually vanished but extended guitar solos have returned. The production is pretty much perfect by now and Tom sounds better than ever. Is this a top tier Evergrey album? No, it's pretty middling. It's formulaic. It's still way too long and way too samey. le sigh

The Awakening
Not a song. Just some audio "plotting". n/a for scoring.

King of Errors
A rousing opener with a moody piano and snare-driven intro, setting the tone for a more somber (yet heavy) album. The verses are perfection, I love Tom's voice and the underlying riff. Awkwardness arises in the chorus vocal melodies, unfortunately. It's certainly a very big, open chord anthemic chorus that is a little catchy but never fully succeeds. The second verse is more interesting, with some really nice dynamics and a soulful second half. A good pair of solos leads us right back to some more choruses. It really seems like the song should end after that, but instead we do a repeat of the intro with some added chordal riffing dynamics to tie it up in a bow. I wish this song had some more meat on the bones (and, simultaneously, cut about 30-40 seconds), but it's still a solid 8/10

A New Dawn
Some more anthemic chords and keyboard licks start us off here (probably foreshadowing the chorus) before a proper thrashy/djenty riff kicks in. The verses are competent and for some reason we get a Latin choir chant pre-chorus before the (you guessed it) anthemic, emotional chorus. On the second go around they add some bleep bloops on top of the thrashy riff. The next verse goes straight into a double chorus with nary a Latin choir in sight. Anyway, the piano bridge is actually really nice. I love a good drop in dynamics with straight piano work. Tom sounds good in the bridge, of course, and the solos are big and emotional, of course, but then...nothing really happens? We get an instrumental verse to end the song and no chorus repeat (which is honestly kind of nice). But I have to ask: what was the point of including the Latin choir chant? What fleeting purpose did it serve? Eh, everything sounds good here, it just doesn't really do much. 7/10

Wake a Change
A piano power ballad that builds with some simple tom work and more bleep bloops to accompany Tom's soulful vocals. I have to say: Tom's vocals here are absolutely beautiful. He has a really big vocal section right before the second chorus that is truly lovely. And thank goodness, because there is literally nothing else interesting about this song. It feels like the same 4 chords for five minutes played with varying degrees of intensity. The guitar solo is nice, but honestly any moderately emotional solo slapped in here would sound good. 5/10 and that's truly only for Tom's vocal performance.

Archaic Rage
The main riff here feels like an alt-rock band from the 90s or something, but then it's quickly drowned out in patented Evergrey gothic keyboards and ennui. Tom sounds phenomenal and the whole song is incredibly anthemic. Luckily, it works far better this time than on the previous couple attempts. I can't help but feel like they're trying really hard for a radio hit, though. The midpoint proves me wrong, though, as we get some actual riffing with nice piano bits and a ton of dynamics! There's even a harmonized section that sounds like Iron Maiden having a real sad boi day. Too many choruses cap this one off, but so far this is the best attempt at this new, mid-tempo anthem they keep aiming for. 8/10

Something needs to be noted at this point: these songs are way too long. Even the ones I like are not interesting enough to justify 5-6 minute tracks. Anyway, on with the show...

Barricades
I can't really get behind this riff. It sounds like someone slamming something repeatedly against a wall. I think maybe that's the point of the theme here, but still, it's not my thing. The subdued snare-and-bass verses are pretty in a gloomy way. "We are the ones with too fast beating hearts"...come the fuck on, Tom. It's been years. Take some additional English courses. Dude. Something about this song just doesn't quite work. I think it might be the tempo? It's just not immediate....WAIT. THERE'S A RIFF. OH, A GOOD RIFF. OHHHHHH, A HARMONIZED RIFF! And a really weird, kinda sloppy solo? Huh. I'm perplexed. Tom, again, sounds just great. But the song just never really achieves the immediacy for which it strives. 6/10

Black Undertow
After some mid-tempo tracks...sure, I guess it's time for a ballad. This one sounds like modern Kamelot. Piano loops, bleep bloops, and effected vocals with sound samples behind it. We eventually find our way to a chorus and it's a simplistic ear worm with a hooky riff to follow (and thankfully add some heaviness). I love this part of Tom's register, it's so clean! He's also been using some very nice falsetto on this album (possibly for the first time) and it sounds quite nice. The solo is a bit wayward, but it works. There's an emotional punch to this song that really works, despite feeling quite a bit too much like every other song on the album. 8/10

The Fire
The spirit of the riff is alive here, even if the riff itself is less than stellar. The verse is nice, but more of the same. However, there is no metal song that has ever been improved by adding a children's choir. This is just one of many to try it and sound wacky. When Tom sings the chorus, it's fine, but still a bit wordy. The second verse is driven by a djent-by-numbers riff that has nice propulsion. The ending is just more dropped chords and synths. Meh. 6/10

Hymns for the Broken
I like the big emotional guitar harmony that opens this one, but I really wish it were extended and that it resulted in something other than another quiet Tom verse. Don't get me wrong: Tom sounds great. Pretty sure we've heard this chorus before, but it sounds nice for the third or fourth time this album. Both guitar solos are emotive, but simple. The piano over the final chorus is nice, though. IDK. It's another 6/10 for me, dawg.

Missing You
The album's true piano ballad. Once more, the lyrics are rife with bizarre grammar that really hinders my enjoyment of the song. If you're going to have a sparse ballad, you've gotta do better on the lyrics, Tom. 5/10

The Grand Collapse
Some more sparse piano leads us into another drop-tuned "beat a slab of meat against a wall" riff. I am so confused as to why Tom does not just sing, "you and I" instead of, "you, I"...I don't get it. The riffing starts to do something a little more interesting but ultimately falls victim to repetitiveness. We repeat the chorus but simply with "oh oh oh's". Then there's some talking, some more basic chugging (but now with madness sweep picking), for some reason we've got a helicopter sound effect and some random audio bytes before we keep riffing on that same chorus melody for what feels like 27 minutes. This goes absolutely nowhere. It's a soundtrack to a movie I wasn't told I was watching. 4/10

The Aftermath
Sorrow follows us even further. Weeping guitars, sad piano, and Tom being sad while singing, "So I'm sad." His sadness, like I've said and must reiterate again, sounds great. If there's one major positive about this album it is Tom's voice. The guy has really come into his abilities. He carries this 7+ minute tune and makes it sound like something more arresting than what it appears to be. I like the emotional shift that occurs about halfway through, which elevates this otherwise plodding song into something uplifting. I'm still not entirely onboard, but it has a power to it. 7/10

I have seen this album referenced as a turning point for the band, a rejuvenation of sorts. To me: it's barely better than the previous record (which was certainly not a high point in their career). And, honestly, that scares me for what comes next.

Album Ratings
Hymns for the Broken - 6.3/10
Glorious Collision - 6.2/10
Torn - 5.1/10
Monday Morning Apocalypse - 6.1/10
The Inner Circle - 7.7/10
Recreation Day - 6.4/10
In Search of Truth - 8/10
Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy - 7.3/10
The Dark Discovery - 5.5/10

I'm making a playlist of all my favorite tracks from these albums (essentially anything I rate an 8-10/10).

Playlist Additions
Hymns for the Broken - 3 songs
Glorious Collision - 4 songs
Torn - 2 songs
Monday Morning Apocalypse - 4 songs
The Inner Circle - 6 songs
Recreation Day - 3 songs
In Search of Truth - 6 songs
Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy - 5 songs
The Dark Discovery - 1 song

 

[Vaenyr]

Hymns For The Broken

We've finally reached Evergrey's current era. I became a fan of the band shortly before the release of this one. I had heard Solitude Within and A Touch Of Blessing years ago, but had never checked out the rest of their music. I had the chance to listen to all of the previous albums at my own tempo, taking as much time as I want with each record before moving to the next. Which also means I didn't have to wait years between Torn or Glorious Collision, which might explain why I'm not as harsh on those records.
We have the classic line-up, but with the bassist from the previous album. All following albums from now on feature the same line-up (though Jonas, the drummer, "left" the band last year. He doesn't want to tour anymore but will remain involved with the band), Tom's vocal style has basically settled on this new style and the overall songwriting will be pretty similar from album to album. This one and the next couple each follow a certain theme; not a concept album in the traditional sense, but a more general idea. This one focuses on defiance, resistance and overcoming adversity and mental health struggles.
Torn is the weakest album for me and from then on each album got better than the previous one. Hymns is an important album for the band, but it is by far my least favorite of the modern albums. The next ones improved quite a bit on the foundations laid here.
The artwork is alright, a step up from the previous record at least.

The Awakening
Not sure if this one should be reviewed as a standalone song. It is clearly just an intro for the next track. It does set the stage for what's to come though. I don't think there's any reason to ever listen to this one outside of the album's context.
Huh, I never noticed that the piano plays the main motif of The Grand Collapse. Guess that's what happens when I barely listen to some songs.

King Of Errors
Their big comeback single, if you want to call it that. It instantly became a classic and a live staple to this day. The marching snare rhythm drives the beginning, before we settle in a stomping mid-tempo groove for the verse. The production is phenomenal and Tom sounds amazing.
The chorus is simple, but catchy, which explains the song's popularity. We return to the verse, but then a completely out of left field little bridge. Very atmospheric and subdued. Seems the boys are finally willing to break away from certain formulas to a certain degree; we'll see more of that on the rest of the album.
It's nice to hear Henrik's shred some again. His style simply suits Evergrey perfectly and I'm glad he's back.
The ending of the song sees an extended reprise of the intro with a new variation for the outro, 9/10.

A New Dawn
We get another mid-tempo riff for the intro and chorus, before changing gears for a chuggy transitionary riff. The verse is slower once more, before we get a pummeling pre-chorus, including a latin choir. The chorus is a bit too simplistic and, dare I say, even boring to me.
We see certain key phrases that are repeated between the songs, further emphasizing the shared theme of them.
The instrumental section after the second chorus is brilliant, with the drums and bass supporting Rikard on the piano. Not really a solo, but a chance to shine nonetheless. The solos are over the main riff, which overall makes this part of the song feel somewhat generic. The downside to basing a huge chunk of your song around one riff: if it doesn't land the listener will probably not like the song very much. There's a neat rhythmic shift towards the end of the outro riff.
One of the weaker tracks on the album, 6/10.

Wake A Change
Another mid-tempo anthemic half-ballad kinda thing. After starting out very strong the album seems to become weaker with each song. Thankfully this will change soon, but unfortunately not with this song. It's not really bad per se; the chorus is just too simple while also being too poppy, without actually having a strong enough melody to carry it. It also doesn't help that two minutes into the song the overall sound has remained nearly identical.
The vocal melodies in the bridge show a bit of self-plagiarism, though I'm not 100% sure if the other song with those melodies is one we reviewed already or one that is still to come lol
The song revolves far too much around the chorus and we even get a key change. Can't polish a turd and all that, 4/10.
To the native speakers: Do the lyrics make sense? Is "waking a change" a thing? Or did something get lost in translation?

Archaic Rage
Interesting title, intriguing song length, so what are we getting? Well, the song starts out deceptively similar to what we've been hearing on the previous songs: mid-tempo stompers with heavy emphasis on their choruses. Thankfully this one has a couple of tricks up its sleeve.
The vocals are very strong, with great melodies both in the verses and the chorus.
"We rise from ashes and stone, cause who I am to you does not reflect the truth"
Is it angsty as all hell? Sure. Is it badass anyway? Hell yeah it is. Tom sounds amazing on the following verse; what a stunning difference compared to the previous album that had too many weak performances.
If the song repeated what we've heard so far it would've been a decent, middle of the pack track. Instead, we get to hear the coolest part of the album with a change into a fierce 12/8 section. This could've continued for a minute or two and I would've loved every second! But I'm still glad that we finally get some instrumental experimentation again, even if it doesn't come close to what we heard on the classic albums. The lead guitars once we return to 4/4 are beautiful, as is Tom's falsetto on "there's no remedy" right before the spoken word section. Oh right, that used to be a thing, huh? The spoken word parts and samples are back once again and they're here to stay! The riffs in the middle elevate this song a ton, to a strong 8/10.
The kid at the end is talking in Swedish right? Anyone know what is being said?

Barricades
And anooother mid-tempo song. Have the boys forgotten how to write faster music? We're almost halfway through the album and it's getting tiresome. That said, I'm a big fan of the verses. The sparse chords underlined by a constant marching snare and Tom's filtered vocals really set the mood. The chorus features some nice modal interchange once again, that's always welcome.
Tom sounds great on the next round of verses and would you look at that, a transitionary riff that leads into a solo without any rhythm guitars. We even get a Janick-style harmonics-slide. Finally something more interesting than the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus formula of the previous two or three albums. There's still a lot to go though. Gotta give another shoutout to Tom's performance during the final round of choruses, the man sounds amazing. 8/10.

Black Undertow
One of the singles and it makes perfect sense once we get to the chorus. The verse is nothing spectacular and is mostly there for building the atmosphere. As are the sound effects towards its end and the vocal samples for the riff right afterwards.
And then we get one of the best choruses on the album! A beatiful melody that gets stuck in your head. I barely pay attention to the other sections of the song because I keep looking forward to the next reprise of the chorus. This song continues the trend of having rather interesting solo sections, with a very subdued and understated one this time around. Thr outro solo is awesome though.
This one is on the opposite spectrum as Wake A Change for me, where the chorus is clearly the centerpiece of the track, but this time around the chorus is stunning and deserving of such attention, another 8/10.

The Fire
My favorite on the album. We finally get a song that picks up the pace and it's in 12/8, what's not to like? The drum groove during the verse is hypnotic and we even get a guest appearance by a children's choir. That really was a thing during the mid-2010s, wasn't it? I think In Flames also did something like that at one point.
The chorus is badass and I absolutely adore the backing vocals throwing in the "I'm broken, not broken, not spoken to!". There are even some screamed vocals buried in the mix prior to the first chorus properly kicking in.
The middle section is interesting, especially with the lyrics actually tying in with the music ("but then the bomb sirens bled", right before we get some eerie synths emulating said bomb sirens, without going for an obnoxious siren sample; I really appreciate that). Don't wanna drone on for too long, so: 10/10.

Hymns For The Broken
Title track time! Not often that we get an opening riff so heavily focused on the lead guitar. Some really nice chord choices in the verse. The choice of various synths is nice as well. Tom sounds amazing, as he does throughout the album.
I feel like I'm repeating myself a bit too much, but the strengths and the weaknesses of this album are pretty consistent throughout the various songs. So, we have another mid-tempo anthem. Thankfully I'm a fan of the chorus on this one. The transfer in the solo section is done well and interestingly enough both Tom and Henrik went for slow, melodic solos. The outro to the song is kinda random though. 8/10.

Missing You
Hey, a piano ballad. Those live or die by the strength of the vocal melodies and thankfully this one has many beatiful ones. Rikard's piano playing is gorgeous as well. Great song overall, but I have to be in the mood for a ballad to return to this one, hence the somewhat lower score of 7/10.

The Grand Collapse
The duration for these next two songs is promising, but if you are expecting a Maiden-style epic with lots of different sections and riffs, you'll be disappointed.
This one is a very atmospheric song that bases large parts of it around the same ideas. The first couple of minutes are chugging away on the same riff (really love how the final line of the verse changes to the major third!). The "chorus", if we want to call it that, is simple and returns to the song's main melody (which was previously teased on The Awakening). Tom's long not is brilliant and one of my favorite Evergrey moments. After that we get a variation on the main motif with a cool almost metalcore-y riff and a "whoooah"-singalong section. Stuff like that will become much more frequent over the next albums.
The extended middle section with all the samples/spoken word parts is a bit much even for me and I probably would've liked something more interesting here. Though it is cool hearing the dissonant harmonized lead guitars, which isn't something Evergrey usually does.
And we're back to the main motif. As much as I love this song, they could've easily removed a couple of minutes and we would've gotten a much stronger and focused track. The over a minute of outro is inexcusable. If even I, Mr. "Virtual XI is my favorite Maiden album", have issues with repetitiveness, this really must mean something lol, 9/10 due to these shortcomings.

The Aftermath
Weeping guitar is the perfect way to describe the intro. This one goes into a rather different direction compared to the previous one. It's kinda hilarious starting out the song with the words "so I'm sad" lol
The combination of the slide guitar with acoustic guitars creates a stunning vibe. After a while they chose to have the traditional metal instruments enter and take over for a bit. Not sure that was really necessary, as they drop away again for the quieter section afterwards. The bridge vocals show signs of self-plagiarism once again.
But then we get to a genuinely cool section from the halfway mark onwards: The same part is repeated a bunch, but it keeps buildings in intensity, first by introducing more voca layers, then Tom changing to the higher octave, before the rest of the band enters. We also return to the full variarion of the intro riff. Which gets repeated for the final two minutes with an incredibly long drawn out fade out. That was unnecessary and hurts and otherwise amazing track, 9/10.

My current ranking of Evergrey songs:
1. Solitude Within
2. The Essence Of Conviction
3. At Loss For Words
4. Where All Good Sleep
5. Mark Of The Triangle
6. As I Lie Here Bleeding
7. A Touch Of Blessing
8. When Darkness Falls
9. Faith Restored
10. The Fire

A change in the top 10! The next albums will shake things up a bit more and I can't wait to get to them now that I finally caught up again

 

[MindRuler]

Tom sounds better than ever.

Agreed

The Grand Collapse
4/10

 

[MindRuler]

Btw peepz: I created an Evergrey album poll so feel free to pick your favourite album! I allready voted for Solitude, the next 5 won´t dethrone it.

 

[Vaenyr]

I'm waiting until we're through with all of them to decide.

 

[MindRuler]

No review from The Storm Within until next tuesday because I go on Easter holiday weekend but of course @Vaenyr and @MrKnickerbocker can allready write their reviews sooner if they:
A) have the time
B ) want to write it allready
C) have nothing else to do
D) miss Toms emotional vocal escapades
E) miss Carina´s ones
F) all of the above
G) none of the above
H) Adrian Smith

 

[Vaenyr]

Enjoy your holiday @MindRuler!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

No review from The Storm Within until next tuesday because I go on Easter holiday weekend but of course @Vaenyr and @MrKnickerbocker can allready write their reviews sooner

Ask and ye shall receive! And yes, the correct answer was:

H) Adrian Smith

THE STORM WITHIN
We're once again repeating the same exact pattern from the previous few albums, but thankfully, the songwriting is getting tighter! There's a couple great songs here and overall the quality and consistency is much higher. The production continues to be spotless and Tom continues to sound incredible. There's actually some songs to feel excited about here, which is really nice! The Storm Within is easily their most consistent album since the early days and there's not a single bad song on it.

The Distance
Mediocre riffing but a killer verse. The chorus is fine, but stock. Despite my previous rant, I don’t hate the children’s choir at the ending. Not much else to talk about here. 7/10

Passing Through
Great beat and energy on this song. The riff is simple, but fun. The verses are incredible. Some of the catchiest Evergrey yet! Same goes for the irresistible chorus (which is even better because of the harmonized guitar part that precedes it). The long solos are also very nice. This is modern Evergrey at the height of their powers and it’s their best song in a decade. 10/10

Someday
Heavy, simple intro with some metric modulation and great drumming. Verses are great again and the chorus is pleasant, but unremarkable. Cool quiet part before the second chorus. Like Distance: it’s good but not exciting. 7/10

Astray
Some heavy riffing is nice, even if it’s a bit too simplistic again. Nice guitar layers throughout, though. It’s only Track 4 but I feel like they’re just playing everything way too safe again. The songs already feel samey. The vocals and transitions in this song are awkward. The minimalist solo is nice, though the bridge afterwards sounds like Christian rock. 6/10

The Impossible
Pianos and Tom being sad about space. Sad Major Tom sounds great, but this just goes nowhere. 6/10

My Allied Ocean
Thankfully this one is the exact opposite: a thrashy riff-fest with a ton of energy. The verse vocals are little odd, but the chorus is good and the syncopated bridge is nice. A good one. 8/10

In Orbit
This is paint by numbers pop metal with good vibes and good hooks. The whole bridge starting with the “caught in orbit” vocal through the emotive solos is perfect. This would probably be an 8-9/10, but, well, how do I say this delicately? It...um...has Floor. 10/10

The Lonely Monarch
File another one into the “sounds good but does nothing remarkable” category. 6/10

The Paradox of the Flame
A nice power ballad. Great to hear Carina with another co-lead! Though, regarding our previous (and future) guest appearance by Floor Jansen, why even call upon her if Carina is right here? It seems like an odd choice, especially considering Floor was in the midst of Full Nightwish Mode at the time of this album's release. 8/10

Disconnect
Some fantastic dynamics here! We go from the heaviest riffing on the album to some virtually ambient piano moments. Tom sounds incredible, too. I think the chorus is a bit disjointed from the rest of the song (or “disconnected” if you will), but this is a fun journey. I really love the guitar and piano unison in the latter half of the bridge. Nice stuff. Also cool to hear some operatic Floor backing vocals. 9/10

The Storm Within
A big downtempo groove leads us into another big Evergrey closer. This one has some nice dynamics and movement, but still feels just a bit too plodding. Tom sounds wonderful, even though I once again feel like I should be in church. Shades of Nightwish’s “Meadows of Heaven” here. I wish this went somewhere, but it’s fine. 7/10

Ratings and Playlist Additions:

Spoiler

Album Ratings
The Storm Within - 7.6/10
Hymns for the Broken - 6.3/10
Glorious Collision - 6.2/10
Torn - 5.1/10
Monday Morning Apocalypse - 6.1/10
The Inner Circle - 7.7/10
Recreation Day - 6.4/10
In Search of Truth - 8/10
Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy - 7.3/10
The Dark Discovery - 5.5/10

I'm making a playlist of all my favorite tracks from these albums (essentially anything I rate an 8-10/10).

Playlist Additions
The Storm Within - 5 songs
Hymns for the Broken - 3 songs
Glorious Collision - 4 songs
Torn - 2 songs
Monday Morning Apocalypse - 4 songs
The Inner Circle - 6 songs
Recreation Day - 3 songs
In Search of Truth - 6 songs
Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy - 5 songs
The Dark Discovery - 1 song

 

[MindRuler]

Both your 10´s are also my favourites from the album!

 

[Vaenyr]

The Storm Within
This album follows the template of the previous one, but with much better results. The songs are tighter and stronger on average and we also have a bit more variety this time around. The album theme is your typical Evergrey fare through a sci-fi/space lens. The artwork sucks unfortunately, being a mixture of generic digital art as well as a visual mess.

Distance
Once again we start out the album with an anthemic mid-tempo stomper and this might be one of their best ones yet. The opening riff, after the brief piano intro, is crushingly heavy. Tom sounds phenomenal throughout the song, especially in the choruses.
I really like Jonas's drum work, particularly in the round of verses up to the second chorus.
The couple of solos are both very brief and feel rather obligatory than necessary, but the riff right afterwards with the piano of the intro returning is such a cool moment. The final chorus adds a children's choir with a lovely added harmony in thirds, which we also get to hear by itself, backed only by a low string synth. I really enjoy that part! And the song ends as it began. Not a song I would've opened the album with, but still a 10/10 for me.

Passing Through
This is the type of song I've been desperately waiting for the last couple of albums. The futuristic synths really set the stage and help separate this song from the previous record.
The twin lead before the chorus is awesome and Tom sounds stunning on the chorus. The verses right afterwards use a variation of the previously heard main riff, with some playful modal interchange towards the end of the first run through. Great stuff.
The solos this time around definitely earned their inclusion. They feel and sound distinct and we get to hear the very different playing styles of Tom and Henrik.
We get a combination of the previous pre-chorus, including the twin leads, before a round of choruses and a reprise of the main riff close out the song. The album continues going strong with another 10/10.

Someday
The first seconds almost sound like whale song, not sure if that's on purpose. Chugging guitars and pummeling drums keep building the energy until a howling lead guitar transitions us into the verse. I didn't mention it for the previous songs, but Tom has really figured out how to use vocal harmonies to great effect at this point. The chorus also features the strongest "choir" sound for backing vocals since The Inner Circle, something I appreciate. The lead guitar after the chorus is simple, but not bad by any means.
Jonas plays a bit with some shifting rhythms during the next round of phases; seems the boys remember their prog roots here and there, even if it's only little touches like that. The "hey"s after the second chorus feel kinda unnecessary. The couple of riffs in the section leading up to the solo (if it even qualifies as such, given how brief it is) are really fun. As heard on the previous song as well, they also stepped up the production with a couple of neat little tricks here and there. Overall an 8/10.

Astray
Some aggressive riffing opens this one. They seem to have learned from the pacing mistakes on Hymns. Both the verses and the chorus of this one feel so distinct and different compared to the rest of the album. We get some proper variety this time around and I couldn't be happier. I kinda feel bad being this harsh on Hymns, but Storm Within is simply superior in almost all metrics.
The lyrics in the second round of verses feel like they're referencing a bunch of other Evergrey songs. Not sure if that's deliberate or just Tom subconsciously tapping into similar ideas again. I like how the second chorus adds a new section, though the background "oh-oo"s are kinda weird. They sound a bit whiny; more than usual lol
Love the subdued solo section! Again, a ton of variety, exactly what I've been missing. We get some more aggressive riffing after the bridge before turning to a variation of the chorus with some really cool low backing vocals getting the spotlight, before Tom returns with some belting again. And would you look at that, an entirely unique outro riff! Another 8/10.

The Impossible
Does this song qualify as a ballad? For me it feels more like an interlude. I adore the vocal melodies and Tom's phrasing throughout the track. I also enjoy how dramatic the piano and synth backing feels. There's a constant feeling of urgency that keeps driving the track. I know this might seem far too generous, but I really like unorthodox tracks like this one a lot, so a 9/10.

My Allied Ocean
And here's my favorite on the album. Time to once again increase the tempo. How refeshing not having like five mid-tempo anthems in a row
Fast 12/8 riffing, reminiscent of The Fire. The verse keeps the pummeling guitars and bass drum, but cuts the tempo of the snare in half, before speeding up for the brilliant chorus. The synth in the background really ties this one together. The fast lead guitar playing the same motif over and over again right afterwards is almost hypnotizing. The next verse has a different, but equally awesome riff backing it. We even get a few measures of harmonized, almost metalcore-y, riffing. The lead motif gets a harmony after the second chorus!
And hey, the vocal samples are back again. Kinda weird getting some motivational speaking in an Evergrey song, but at least it's over quickly. Some great shredding follows, letting Henrik really stretch and bust out many of his signature techniques.
God, do I adore Tom's performance in the final chorus. We reprise the intro riff again before ending the song as it began. Shouldn't come as a surprise after my gushing, but this one's an easy 10/10 for me.

In Orbit
Time to pump the brakes a bit after the onslaught. I really like the laid back vibes of the verses. The chorus is really catchy and only gets better once Floor joins for the other ones with her added harmonies. Her performance on the verses, with the added backing vocal here and there for effect, is great. Her voice fits well with Tom's.
The 7/8 bridge is a fun change of pace. The intro part is repeated again and this might be the single weakest part of the song to me. The solo and the section right afterwards are quite strong again, the transition to the final chorus somewhat haphazard. The vocal variations in the final chorus are stunning and I can hear why they went with Floor instead of Carina for this one. 8/10.

The Lonely Monarch
Shimmering acoustic guitars and pulsating synths on top of simple power chords and a solid foundation of drums and bass is always a good time. Instead of four measures of 4/4, the verse has three regular measures and one 2/4 measure, so we get 14 instead of 16 beats. That explains why this might feel a bit wonky and I love it. The guitar riff underneath is simple, but really fun, especially with the added harmonies in the second run through.
We once again get a lead guitar right before the chorus, though this time it feels quite different to Passing Through's execution of that idea.
This is one of the few songs where I really like the chorus going half time. The instrumentation (listen to the piano in the background!), the open chords and the vocal melodies create one of my favorite choruses on the record.
Remember when I said the verse riff was simple but fun? Well the second round of verses starts out with a more complex variation that's even more fun! Unfortunately the repeat changes back to the original, simple version. Not to sound like a broken record, but Tom sounds amazing throughout. The key change for the lead section really caught me off guard the first few times. I like that we get two longer solos with very different feels, both in the playing as well as the performances of the supporting instruments. The slow and long bends in the second solo are really tasty. Overall a really strong song, 9/10.

The Paradox Of The Flame
Ballad time. This is a duet with Carina, the final one in fact. In a way this feels like another try at For Every Tear That Falls. Funnily enough, I haven't listened to this song much over the years, despite liking it more than some of the other ballads.
The chorus with their harmonized voices is utterly gorgeous. And if people haven't seen the video, give it a watch, it's stunning:

(Especially the shot around 4:10-ish)

I wonder if the lyrics of the song and the subject matter were just the typical Evergrey emotional ballad stuff or if they were actually dealing with the two of them growing apart and dealing with their feelings in song form.
The extended fade out is once again unnecessary, but the piano and violin (viola?) are nice enough. Gotta go with a 7/10.

Disconnect
This connects (heh) well to the previous song as far as the lyrics go. The opening riff is crushing and the verse vocals some of the most unorthodox melodies Tom has sung so far. Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of the chorus. Floor sings the backing vocals and she does a great job; doesn't make the melodies any more interesting to me though.
In general, this one feels pretty scatterbrained. We get a subdued piano break after the chorus, before some galloping guitars enter. The riff and verse that follows is a 10/10, but it's wasted on a song that I don't particularly like that much. The return of the children's choir is pretty cool as well. The solo on the other hand doesn't do much for me.
My dislike of the chorus makes the following parts all the more frustrating. We get a change of meter after the solo, changing towards a marching 12/8, flanked by acoustic guitars. These riffs are pure perfection and some of the coolest moments on the album. Also, it's been a long while since we saw an extensive instrumental section in an Evergrey song. The chorus reeeeally drags this song down though. How annoying, there's a ton to love, but a good chunk is devoted to the chorus. Being generous due to the parts that I enjoy so much, I'll settle on a 6/10.

The Storm Within
Very unexpected song and once again an unorthodox way to end the album. This one almost feels hopeful, compared to the emotional oppression heard on most Evergrey songs. In fact this has to be the first song of theirs with extensive use of a major key. This one never really clicked with me though. I like how the song keeps moving forwards, where even the repeated sections never quite sound the same thanks to the entirely different lyrics and even changed vocal lines. But the overall tempo, as well as the melodies themselves are just a bit too boring for me. A song like that has to connect for the emotional beats to land, and this never happened for me. This means that a really strong and consistent album falls apart a bit in the last few songs, which is a shame. Still a great improvement to Hymns though. 5/10 for the title track.

My current ranking of Evergrey songs:
1. Solitude Within
2. The Essence Of Conviction
3. At Loss For Words
4. Where All Good Sleep
5. Mark Of The Triangle
6. My Allied Ocean
6. As I Lie Here Bleeding
7. A Touch Of Blessing
8. Passing Through
9. Distance
10. Faith Restored

Hey, not only did I catch up, I got my review out before MindRuler's return!
We are getting to the album I was most looking forward to seeing the various reactions.

 

[MindRuler]

The Storm Within (2016)

Evergrey Number X! Awful artwork but great production! Let's rate the songs...

Distance
Intro begins quiet with piano but then the guitars come in. The verses are abit simplistic but the chorus is brilliant! In the second verse we get a little bit variation in the riffing and a long djenty riff before the chorus. Shredding guitar solo before a djenty part going back to the chorus again. Then a bridge and chorus again. Kids choir singing the chorus in the outro. Good opener!
8/10
Passing Through
Cool intro! I love the riff after the intro before going into the supercatchy verse! The prechorus is nothing but brilliant with Maidenish riff right before the chorus! This is allready an Evergrey classic! Love the little changes in the riffing during the second verse. Melodic solo flowing into another. Great part! First highlight of the album! 10/10
Someday
Heavy intro and a first verse in midtempo with a meaty chugging riff. Very poor chorus though. We know Evergrey can do better. Alot better. Nice riffs before the second verse and chorus again. The short instrumental section is great though but unfortunately it´s way too short. The chorus just doesn't work for me. 6/10
Astray
Typical Evergrey intro. Nice verse with addictive guitar riff on the background. The chorus is...good. Not great though. Chugging guitars before the second verse. Nice to hear Tom naming In Search Of Truth somewhere in the lyrics. The guitarsolo is decent but doesn´t lift this song to a higher level. After a nice sung part by Tom we get some cool riffs and the song meandering near the end. Good but not great. 7/10
The Impossible
Ballad but without the cheese from earlier ballads. This is well done, especially Tom shines on this one. It closes the first part of the album and I feel just as @Vaenyr it´s like an interlude to My Allied Ocean. 7/10
My Allied Ocean
Awesome aggressive start of this song!
Catchy fastpaced vocal lines, especially during the chorus and then those riffs right after the chorus! Brilliant! Some spoken words by Tom and a shredding solo which works extremely well in this beast of a song. This must be one of their heaviest tracks. 8/10
In Orbit
And here it is! One of the catchiest Evergrey songs ever. Perfect vocal lines and their catchiest chorus ever! Sugarsweet and then Floor yet has to come. Just perfect. 1:52 always sends shivers down my spine. 10/10 but it could´ve been 11 too...
The Lonely Monarch
Awesome track with alot of elements we love about this band. Abit pale coming after In Orbit but still an amazing song. Very passionate vocal lines and great riffing. Some Maidenish riffs leading into a brilliant solo and an amazing instrumental part. Another solo follows and flows into a short acoustic part. 9/10
The Paradox Of The Flame
Another ballad...sigh. While The Impossible was enyoable this simply doesn´t work for me and is a, sorry, skip moment. Carina doesn´t add alot although I know she had to sing it because of their change in feelings. 6/10
Disconnect
Thrashy intro but the song changes into tempo into the chorus and it just feels odd. Like if two songs got mixed up. Nice chugging guitars in the next verse though but again the chorus feels just out of place. 6/10
The Storm Within
Not a great way to end the album. I quite like the verses with the synths and Toms vocal lines but like the previous song the chorus is the weakest link. 6/10

Evergrey The Songs Within Top 10:
1. A Touch Of Blessing
2. Solitude Within
3. Recreation Day
4. In Orbit
5. Nosferatu
6. More Than Ever
7. Fail
8. The Aftermath
9. Black Undertow
10. Passing Through

Evergrey Album Ranking:
1. Solitude Dominance Tragedy
2. In Search Of Truth
3. Recreation Day
4. Hymns For The Broken
5. The Inner Circle
6. Torn
7. The Storm Within
8. The Dark Discovery
9. Monday Morning Apocalypse
10. Glorious Collision

 

[MindRuler]

The Atlantic (2018)

Last part of the Trilogy although I never saw the connection between this one and Hymns for instance. This one is praised among the fans but for me it took several years to appreciate. Let´s find out later tonight if some songs can reach into the Top 10 and how high this album will get in the ranking...

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

THE ATLANTIC
Well, folks, they did. They finally did it. They made the newer musical direction make sense while also pushing themselves. I'm completely onboard for the seafaring metaphors throughout. In case you can't tell, this being Evergrey and all, the ocean is made of sorrow. The tide carries sorrow. Our captain is The Physical Embodiment of Sorrow, leading a sorrowful crew aboard the S.S. Sorrow. But somehow, despite the endless waves of sorrow: this is a masterpiece. It is easily their most consistent record and despite a single bad song and one that is severely misplaced: it is near perfect.

A Silent Arc
An ominous single piano note, or a thematic sonar blip, precedes some furious drop-tuned djenty riffing. It’s powerful as hell, I just wish the riffs were more complex. Tom bellows in and then mellows out for the pre-chorus and chorus. It’s far from the catchiest Evergrey melody, but it is very emotional. The transition into the staccato bridge with vocal samples is great. Big solos and a huge, beautiful ending. Not top tier, but very good. 9/10

Weightless
Main riff is way too repetitive and simplistic, but the second riff is great. All of the piano layers add so much. Tom's vocals are incredibly catchy. Great pre-chrous and chorus. The bridge is very cool, too, but also simplistic. Nice chunky riffing and metric modulation. I don’t like that they destroy my speakers with 808s, though. Still, another 9/10

All I Have
One giant slab of plodding mush. The vocals are lifeless and the lyrics beyond simplistic (and also the least metaphorically-themed here). One of the most boring Evergrey songs I’ve ever heard. 3/10

A Secret Atlantis
This one builds and hits like a hurricane. Tight, heavy riffing and incredible drumming. Tom sounds like a sea captain in the eye of the storm during the verses. The halftime chorus is a bit odd, but an earworm for sure. I love the bridge, from the keyboard solo to the pummeling syncopated section to the guitar solo. Another awesome 9/10

The Tidal
A keyboard interlude. N/A

End of Silence
Some simple, effective odd metre riffing kicks this one off before Tom begins crooning. The first chorus drops down to just piano and Tom’s soulful singing, before a single guitar lick leads us back to another, more complex verse. There’s a very cool chromatic drop down riff before the second chorus with some wonderfully affected vocals - it’s a brief moment but it adds so much depth. After the second chorus we get a single hooky riff and vocal that is just sublime and then the keyboard/guitar unison is just the cherry on top. A masterclass in songwriting. 10/10

Currents
Another one that just rips straight from the start, this might be Tom’s single best vocal track in the history of the band. He’s both belting in his perfect wheelhouse and pushing himself at the same time. The vocal melodies are just insanely catchy. I adore the verses (and the space given to the vocals there) and the chorus is also super catchy. The riffing under the second verse is killer and we get another bizarre atonal riff run before the chorus hits - I like this trick! We get our only really energetic bought of soloing on the record, too. I’m not sold on the extended outro, but it’s a nice bit of atmospheric work after such an uptempo tune. 10/10

Departure
A rare upfront bass and drum groove leads us into this moody, melancholic masterpiece. I love the piano work, too. Tom, once again, is just at the absolute top of his game here. The production also deserves some very specific respect as it is very responsible for the success of this record. I love the way the first chorus drops down to acoustics and then gradually builds back up with drums and clean guitar leads before the second verse. At first, this track seems like a step down after the previous two, but the more it builds, the more I love it. There’s another acoustic break about halfway through that is just magnificent. It sounds like Tom is truly ripping his heart out. It also sounds a little bit like Christian rock again, but it’s fine. The juxtaposition of this back into a piano-only chorus (with new lyrics) is awesome. I love the heavier melodic guitars that come in next and the intensifying drums that crescendo into the solo. It’s another fucking 10/10, dudes.

The Beacon
An incredibly dark song that begins with a vocal sample, before some spooky riffing and a keyboard loop to back up Tom’s verse. The chord choice in the chorus is so bizarre (especially for modern Evergrey - who generally seem happy to repeat the same big, poppy chords in most choruses). It adds an even darker tone to the song. Also, I must mention again: Tom’s vocals are out of this world here. His bluesy runs are expertly placed, his melodies are catchy as hell, and he just sounds very confident. The solos are great, the bridge riffing underneath perfectly serves the song while still being interesting, and the harmonized guitar outro with the acoustic backdrop is beautiful. You’re not gonna believe it, it’s another 10/10!

This Ocean
Djent, djent, chug, chug, it’s the last song. Tom’s verses are awesome, especially on top of those twisty riffs. The chorus is not the best, though, and I don’t think the second verse chromatic chord part works as well as the previous two examples. I do love the Maiden-y riff underneath the chorus and the despair created during the bridge transition is palpable. The second time they hit the chromatic part is much better: with a hefty guttural growl and some nice double-bass work. This is a good song, but it is not a good closer. 8/10

Ratings and Playlist Additions:

Spoiler

Album Ratings
The Atlantic - 8.6/10
The Storm Within - 7.6/10
Hymns for the Broken - 6.3/10
Glorious Collision - 6.2/10
Torn - 5.1/10
Monday Morning Apocalypse - 6.1/10
The Inner Circle - 7.7/10
Recreation Day - 6.4/10
In Search of Truth - 8/10
Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy - 7.3/10
The Dark Discovery - 5.5/10

I'm making a playlist of all my favorite tracks from these albums (essentially anything I rate an 8-10/10).

Playlist Additions
The Atlantic - 8 songs
The Storm Within - 5 songs
Hymns for the Broken - 3 songs
Glorious Collision - 4 songs
Torn - 2 songs
Monday Morning Apocalypse - 4 songs
The Inner Circle - 6 songs
Recreation Day - 3 songs
In Search of Truth - 6 songs
Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy - 5 songs
The Dark Discovery - 1 song

 

[MindRuler]

Good news @MrKnickerbocker : If you like The Atlantic you might enjoy the following albums too.

Spoiler

On the next one is a song with guest vocals by James LaBrie