Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweden's finest are back, 25 Oct 2008
For many years, I have been an ardent fan of Evergrey's intoxicating brand of power progressive metal and have collected everything these mighty Swedes have ever released. For the most part, they have been consistent with their music by placing an emphasis on their signature sound that is so unique it cannot be mistaken for any another artist. However, 2007's `Monday morning Apocalypse', did not sit well with me and it was an album that I could not find anything enlightening about it. In my opinion, `Monday morning Apocalypse' had too many changes to the usual style, for example, the song writing took a different stance, the inclusion of Sanken Sandquist and Stefan Glauman (Rammstein, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard) to produce and mix the album, with the end result lacked any cohesive direction that fans were accustomed to.
This was by far their most experimental album to date at the time and still is, but in order for some bands to flourish, they need to experiment by taking chances to grow personally as musicians. I do feel however, this album was rushed and working with two new producers was not the right decision as the band lost direction by veering too far away from their blueprint sound. Regardless of my thoughts, it is time to wipe the slate clean and look at 2008's `Torn' and what this new release brings to the metal table. I am pleased to report that Evergrey has stepped up to the plate once again by returning to their sound, having moved away from the formula of `Monday morning Apocalypse'.
`Torn' sits firmly between `Recreation Day' and some of the earlier albums like Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy and is extremely heavy and darker in personality than other releases. The gravelly vocals of Tom Englund are still in abundance with the ominous staccato guitar work of Englund and Hendrik Danhage, the keyboard flurries of Rikard Zander, the exceptional drumming of Jonas Ekdahl rounding it off with the impressive bass work from new bassist, Jari Kainulainen (ex Stratovarius)just make 'Torn' gel perfectly together. The track `Broken wings' starts the proceedings off, which pretty much outlines the mood for the rest of the album - solid progressive metal with plenty of hooks and humungous chorus. Standout tracks are - `Fail', the title track `Torn', `These Scars' and the bonus track, `Caught in a Lie' all add their piece to make this album sound so awesome.
After absorbing the soundscapes of this album for a few days now, I found the lead guitar work is extremely imaginative and a great deal of thought has been put into the song writing and playing process. An example of this and best track on the album by far is, `Still walk Alone' with some skilful musicianship from all concerned. Tom Englund's wife, Carina, adds her vocal talent on two tracks `Broken Wings' and `These Scars', singing a few verses which adds a great dimension to the music. Tom Englund has handled the production side himself and he has done a sterling job, as the sound is rich with plenty of bottom end grunt. Furthermore, esteemed producer Fredrik Nordstrom has assisted with the engineering side of things.
Overall, an impressive return by Evergrey for 2008, and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this release, especially using headphones is the best way to appreciate all the subtle guitar pieces on the album. For old-time fans like myself will undoubtedly have no problem getting into this album as the band has evolved favourably, yet still remaining true to themselves. For individuals that have not yet had the opportunity to relished in the music of Evergrey, then this album will certainly be a great starting point. For those of you that have no other Evergrey albums in your collection, then a trip into their back catalogue is an absolute must.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
...going back to their roots..., 6 Sep 2008
Evergrey, one of the top prog / power metal acts in Europe are back with their seventh studio album "Torn", and their first for new label SPV/Steamhammer.
Their last album "Monday Morning Apocalypse" wasn't popular with their longstanding fans, something frontman , Tom S. Englund, seems to recognise saying "it was the right album at the time, but now we have returned to our typical trademarks". So, is this a return to form, and will it restore the faith of their fanbase.
Probably. They have definitely returned to their prog metal roots, leaving the more commercial fare of "Monday Morning Apocalypse" behind, something that pacify the grumblers. However, some of the material seems a tad lacklustre compared to earlier fare, making you wonder whether the band actually want to be doing this. There are some definite highlights with 'Broken Wings' and 'When Kingdoms Fail' deserving to be recognised as amongst their best.
The guitars are very much to the fore with the keyboards of Rikard Zander largely serving as seasoning, and Tom S Englund is in fine vocal fettle, but there isn't really anything that makes you think that they're ready to take a step up the metal leagues.
As a return to their roots, it will appease those who've followed them through classics like "Recreation Day" and "Solitude Dominance". But they need to find something a bit more special if they want to reclaim lost ground, although fans of thought provoking, dark hued progressive metal will still find a lot to enjoy.
Like the previous review, it's probably a 3.5.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good ain't good enough for Evergrey, 1 Sep 2008
Now, just don't get me wrong: "Torn" really is a decent album, so the rating is more like ***1/2 than bare ***, actually. The thing is, after the mighty previous offering from Evergrey - "Monday Morning Apocalypse" - a ***1/2 album is still not good enough.
Vocalist/guitarist Tom S. Englund has apparently been saying that on "Torn" he wanted to recapture the era of "In Search of Truth" and "Recreation Day" - and that's fine with me, as both these albums were great at the time when they were released. Mind you, they didn't have to follow the great "Monday Morning Apocalypse", so the expectations towards the band weren't quite as great as they are right now. But even if in comparison with "MMA", "Torn" seems to be a step back for Evergrey, there are still several great songs on it, like the catchy opener "Broken Wings", highly emotional "Soaked" (some fine vocals from Englund here!) or my personal favourite, "These Scars" - a dark and almost hypnotic track that closes the album in style.
If, like me, you're a fan of Evergrey's previous album, you'll need several listens to get used to "Torn". If you prefer the band's earlier stuff - well, this one's made for you!
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