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