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Evergrey - The Storm Within review



Reviewer:
8.9

233 users:
7.97
Band: Evergrey
Album: The Storm Within
Release date: September 2016


01. Distance
02. Passing Through
03. Someday
04. Astray
05. The Impossible
06. My Allied Ocean
07. In Orbit [feat. Floor Jansen]
08. The Lonely Monarch
09. The Paradox Of The Flame [feat. Carina Englund]
10. Disconnect [feat. Floor Jansen]
11. The Storm Within

The musicians of Evergrey have had a tumultuous and hard-fought career, and even though the band has had many talented members, the current lineup is being rightfully regarded as their best. Following the triumphant combined returns of Henrik Danhage and Jonas Ekdahl in 2014, the album Hymns for the Broken set the new standard for the band. 2016 sees their new offering come to life through AFM Records, bearing the title The Storm Within. So?

So, circle the calendar. The dark poets of progressive power metal have struck gold again. The energy level is at par with their classic albums from the early 2000s. The duo of Tom S. Englund and Henrik Danhage is as impressive as ever on guitars while the rhythm section absolutely nails every track. Jonas Ekdahl [drums] and Johan Niemann [bass] are so integral to the sound of Evergrey anymore that it is hard to conceive there was a time when they were not part of it. Rikard Zander on keyboards is providing his expertise at creating haunting atmospheres. His sound is very prominent, yet the guitars trump it all, as it should be.

Every track is trademark Evergrey, featuring elaborate guitar work, remarkable solos, killer rhythms and Tom's unmistakable vocals. As a singer, I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves. But then the same can be said for his guitar skills. Some tracks are more rock-oriented than others, referencing all eras of the band. The lyrics and melodies are full of references to their previous songs, which is also a very cool way to pay tribute to their career.

As usual, Tom's wife, the soulful vocalist Carina Englund, adds her touch to one song, the power ballad "The Paradox of the Flame". More surprising is the pretty amazing vocal duet with Nightwish's Floor Jansen on "In Orbit". For those who still remember a band called After Forever, it should not be surprising to find out how much her voice is suited for this type of music. The rest of the album is very straightforward and effective power-laden progressive power, with the notable exception of the piano-driven and vocal-centric "The Impossible". The Storm Within is heavy, dynamic, rocking, energizing, and so masterfully powerful. Try not to head bang to tracks such as "My Allied Ocean", "The Lonely Monarch" or "Disconnect".

The natives of Gothenburg, Sweden are celebrating their 20th anniversary with an all-encompassing album, full of catchy tunes and memorable moments. The Storm Within resuscitates the Evergrey of a decade ago albeit with a handful of more modern influences. Eleven tracks spread over 58 exhilarating minutes that sum up what the band has been bringing consistently during two decades of hard work and dedication. The Storm Within stands on its own in their discography and might just be their crowning achievement.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 28.08.2016 by Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as:

"A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?"

I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math.


Comments

Comments: 9   Visited by: 369 users
28.08.2016 - 18:53
tiny dog ghosts

Very excited for this one. Liked their last, probably their strongest since recreation day. Exciiiting stuff!
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28.08.2016 - 20:12
Lanthros

Im looking forward to this one but I cant imagine it topping In Search of Truth.
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29.08.2016 - 14:12
Rating: 8
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Aren't you too optimistic about it? Their crowning achievement? That is saying a lot when it comes to this band

The singles released so far don't instill much confidence in me but the album before this was really good. I'll reserve my judgement for when I hear the entire piece.

You do seem very excited about it eheh
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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29.08.2016 - 18:52
Susan
Smeghead
On par with their early albums? Featuring FLOOR? Shiiiiiiit.

After several mediocre albums, they returned pretty triumphantly with Hymns For The Broken. I had cautiously high hopes for this but now I'm full-on excited for it. Thanks for writing!
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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30.08.2016 - 00:19
Opethian

Gonna have to check this one out! Great review
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30.08.2016 - 02:17
Rating: 9
Dream Taster
The Enemy Within
Written by BloodTears on 29.08.2016 at 14:12

Aren't you too optimistic about it? Their crowning achievement? That is saying a lot when it comes to this band

The singles released so far don't instill much confidence in me but the album before this was really good. I'll reserve my judgement for when I hear the entire piece.

You do seem very excited about it eheh

Probably a little too optimistic, but I am really enjoying it so much that I couldn't feel any different. The singles are far from being the best tracks on the album.
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01.09.2016 - 02:13
Rating: 8
BlankFile

I´ve listened to it 3 or 4 times by now. It´s not their crowning achievement in my opinion, but it´s a damn good record. I think the dynamics of the band changed for the better since Hymns for the Broken. The return of some classic members of the band, was decisive for that matter. Hymns for the Broken was a spectacular record, an amazing return for Evergrey. The Storm Within is a worthy successor, a really solid álbum, full of emotion and melody, with strong riffs and choruses. I think the band, with this release, shows a lot of maturity at this stage of their career and they know the right path to follow.

For me the highlights of this CD are "Distance", "Passing Trough", "My Allied Ocean", "The Paradox Of The Flame" and my favourite one and for me the best track of the álbum "Disconnect"
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02.09.2016 - 12:41
GT
Coffee!!
Seems like another 'must have' album for 2016 :-)
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Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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11.09.2016 - 12:51
SteTech

Brill album from Evergrey, as always. I got the deluxe version with a cover of Paranoid, and they successfully make that classic song sound like their own.

Oh yeah, I asked them on Twitter if The Impossible was influenced by composer Ludovico Einaudi and it turns out it is! If Tom's vocals were removed it wouldn't sound out of place on an Einaudi album
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