Evergrey – Glorious Collision (2011)

Let me put this simple: what the heck is going on?

The close-to-zero few of you who happened to take notice of my unexpected, unrequested and and not-so-promising comeback might have been wondering why, after such a pompous announcing of said comeback (me being me, could it be any different, really?) – why I kept silent instead of bombing you with my well-kept acrimony towards bands, albums and anything orbitating thereabout.

The reason is simple: I feel kind of scared. Scared of how far my judgement seems to have gone during this whole hiatus I took, and I mean far from the commonly shared perception of what’s good and bad (in music; beside that, it’s always been that way). I’ll sum it up to make it clearer.

Not long ago I thought I’d take a risk and give Evergrey, a band that’d been disappointing me for half a decade, a not really deserved second (alright, make it third or fourth) chance. Well, turns out I had the right feeling all along. The new album, Glorious Collision, pretty much follows in the (lame) footsteps of their latest works, eventually turning out to be even worse – just because they seem not to have learnt anything from those. Quality’s on the same line, production’s probably even gotten better – problem is, it’s the same old crappy mainstreamy easy-listening, devoid of ideas, low-recorded-to-fool-them-all pop metal its predecessors were. One would think two and a half albums (yes, I do think The Inner Circle had tidings of what was to come, and I did think it back then… turns out I wasn’t afraid for nothing) would be enough to cut with the “let’s try and appeal to a larger fan base” crap, leave whatever experimentations and/or crisis they’ve been through behind, and get back on track of the sontuous dark power-prog metal they had begun with, leaving many a fan (why, including me myself) to wonder where those very interesting premises may lead.

Apparently, that’s not even nearly been the case. Now, I’m fully aware a lot of metal fans out there have saluted the turn to a much catchier, poppier kind of “metal” (do we still want to call it that, seriously?) with joy and relief – who wants to sit and listen to longer, more layered and thoughtful songs anyway? For oh my oh my, that takes patience.
No bashing intended here, really. Especially not towards the fans. Point is, they’ve turned into something they were not; they didn’t keep the promises they made with their earlier works; and after a couple of commercial hits they apparently decided resting on the laurels was the right way to go. Are they to blame? perhaps; it’s not what we’re concerned with here anyway. We are with the following questions: should I get over it? Should I move on and finally just take them for what they’ve become, without making a fuss everytime they basically just confirm they’re no longer what i used to like?

Yes, and yes. The blame’s rather on me for giving them a chance they didn’t deserve, once too many. I should of course have guessed the massacrating line-up changes and the metalzines’ and indipendent reviewers’ condescention and complacency would build on their own, and i mean self-complacency. You make some gradual yet substantial changes to the core of what you play, fans (I’d have to suppose a majority of those) and media buy on it, you feel encouraged to just go on down that road – no matter how much of an artistic suicide that could turn into. That, to me, sums up the path Evergrey‘s taken around 2004, after The Inner Circle (the following live A Night To Remember kind of doesn’t count). And at the end of the day, what matters is not that I am done with them, but that they are with the dark, prog-power music they used to herald.

For the sake of honesty I feel like adding a sincere, non-ironic and non-paternalising advice to all those of you who actually liked evergrey better from Monday Morning Apocalypse onwards, or just continued liking them choosing/not being able to notice what had changed in the meanwhile. My tiny word of wisdom is: get this record asap, no way it’ll disappoint you. As a matter of fact, I am convinced there’s much truth in all the praise reviewers grant it time and again: if you like/don’t mind/don’t see the difference between their first albums and the couplet (now become triplet) MMA and Torn, you will acutally enjoy this one as well, possibily even more than those. Just don’t let the hastily written, probably just copy-pasted reviews of those who try and sell it as the “long awaited and much needed turn back to the origins” fool you, simply because Glorious Collision is anything but that.

THUS SPAKE THE CENNSOR: Finally, to those of you who pervicaciously don’t/didn’t want to abandon all hope yet and are/were wondering whether Evergrey finally took a couple of steps back with Glorious Collision, to you i say: nay. Not the case. To try again? Not anytime soon. 4/10

Evergrey – Torn (2008)

If I were asked to list last year’s most disappointing releases, Evergrey‘s Torn would sadly have to be atop. The fact no one will ever ask me that obviously doesn’t keep me from presenting you my thoughts about these eleven tracks.
But let’s get it immediately straight: this is far better than their previous, let me say, maimed work.

There had been quite some expectation around this album, made grown bigger and bigger by a handful of updates to the band’s own blog, namely: nice and actually appealing excerpts from the album to be, as well as some funny bits of the recording. Now, the harsh truth is that the final product doesn’t live up to the high expectations it had aroused.
One can actually hear some not even needed improvements to the overall sound – thanks to tom edlund’s ever-growing mastery of the mixing – but that’s quite about it. They had promised there would have been sort of a return to the origins, which was supposed to take us back to the indeed glorious times of Recreation Day. That has simply not happened.

Maybe Evergrey are trying to compensate their pretty clear lack of ideas with a push on the aggressive side of their music — an important, recurring element of their sound that is always welcome anyway. What really harms this album though, is right the lack of ideas. to indulge in the same, indeed powerful riffs may be good for a couple of songs, but a truly good comeback (especially after the blunder they made with Monday Morning Apocalypse) requires something more.

The album is listenable all in all; the thundering drums-driven, never-hasty lines may appeal many a listener, including some of their die-hard fans as well. But for those who are still hoping for something in the region of their mid-career heights, no, this is not the messiah you’re waiting for.

Atleast the songs have come out of the single-hinting lenght of their closest predecessors, and several steps out of the Monday Morning Apocalypse pit have been taken. Let’s say we’re back on the right track here, yet far from the end of the road. It doesn’t have to be a road back to the sound that made them stand out from the prog bands crowd; but it’s not a crime to hope so either.

Keeping the album afloat are Fail‘s second part, where some nice lines appear to have been built, the pretty decent title track, and a promising Numb. The only totally convincing piece though is Fear, but even here you can’t help pointing out it would have all worked better IF – if the piano notes were made more audible, as far as to this track.

THUS SPAKE THE CENNSOR: The hurting truth is, there’s this constant, creeping lack of originality (same riffs over and over again) underlining the whole album, that gives you the restless hope to find something worthy before the ending notes. Which, again, won’t happen. However our much talented Swedes are still there, and they certainly don’t need me to point them the way — especially while they’re still selling well and are not disappointing that half of their fans. I just happen to be on the other half. 5,5/10