EVERGREY – The Atlantic

Sweden’s Evergrey have sailed the seas of Progressive Metal since 1993 and state they are “…synonymous with technically and compositionally outstanding standards, combined with lyrics and messages which go way beyond pure rock’n’roll prose.”  They explain their latest release is part three of their Hymns For The Broken trilogy and “It’s about relationships, beauty and darkness, about fortune and grief, about love, hate, despair, joy and everything connected with it. Life is like a journey across the ocean, on the way to distant shores.”

True to form, the band delivers complicated and technically diverse songs but aren’t crafted with an abundance of hooks. The cohesion of the contrasting compositions is inhibited further by a breadth of topics which drown the vision.  The emblematic opener “A Silent Arc” connects numerous ideas strung together without an agenda toward a definitive statement or conclusion. Whenever it gains momentum, it repeatedly retreats into plodding respites of emotive vocal musings and guitar solos. “Weightless” follows and darkens the already pensive mood.  Vocals are prioritized in the mix muting the impact of excellent hard-hitting riff combinations.  Sparse and depressive riffs combined with mournful vocals drench “All I Have” with despair to spare. After the emotional bludgeoning of the early tracks, the middle section features “A Secret Atlantis”, “End Of Silence” and “Currents” which hit harder with the concussive and stuttering riffs used extensively by many contemporary Metal bands. This crunchy tapestry has the drive, structure and substance to please those less inclined to enjoy Progressive Metal. The latter portion of the album sails into piano and guitar ballad territory with “Departure”.

For a band who states the current music scene is threatening to become increasingly trivial and contourless, The Atlantic doesn’t make the strongest case for dark emotions and deep textures.  While there is no mistaking the quality of feeling, effort and execution, the songs are long on complexity and low on cohesion.

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TRACKLIST (Highlights: 2, 4, 6, 7 )

1. A Silent Arc
2. Weightless
3. All I Have
4. A Secret Atlantis
5. The Tidal
6. End Of Silence
7. Currents
8. Departure
9. The Beacon
10. This Ocean

LINEUP

Tom S. Englund (vocals, guitars)
Henrik Danhage (guitars)
Rikard Zander (keyboards)
Johan Niemann (bass)
Jonas Ekdahl (drums)