NOTE: This is not the official EVERGREY fan page! I am just a really big fan of them. Sorry everyone. If you want to check out my MySpace, go here.
Evergrey hails from Sweden and continues the long tradition of great rock-metal bands from that country. With each release, Evergrey leaves their own unique mark upon the listener while offering new and fresh diverse musicianship accompanied by earnest emotive vocals. Tom Englund leads the way with a striking presence as their front man. His range is extraordinary…jumping back and forth from dark and raspy to smooth and crystal clear intonations that will mesmerize and fascinate you. This powerful music leaves you no choice but to submit to its allure.
Evergrey’s musicianship is clearly beyond reproach as Rikard Zander (Keyboards), Michael Hakansson (Bass), Jonas Ekdahl (Drums), Tom S. Englund (Vocals/Guitars) and Henrik Danhage (Guitars) are a high-energy ensemble that attacks the music with relentless fervor. The previous album Recreation Day was dark and ominous with political and spiritual aspects sprinkled about it to make you think; The Inner Circle gives you much of the same, just cranked up another notch. Currently there are two new videos from the album in rotation on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, and with advent of a successful tour in the U.S.A., many doors have opened for them, growing their audience exponentially.
According to lead singer Englund, the premise of The Inner Circle is based upon the bashing of fanatics and fanaticism. It is about a person being convinced into becoming a full member of a cult and it describes how they strip him of his self-respect, individuality and self-esteem in order to make him live by the rules of a cult unconditionally. The concept could be taken from any of today's religious cults that feed off people’s insecurity and lack of belief in themselves. The theme of the album has a strong emphasis on our roles as human beings in this world and the struggle between good and evil, a storyline that has been around since the beginning of time. Welcome to good vs. evil 2004…welcome to The Inner Circle of Evergrey. Sonically the album is outstanding and a variety of styles are explored, and very successfully. The switching back and forth from soft acoustic passages with strings to sweeping power chords that ring loud and clear, make this a progressive metal masterpiece that will reverberate within your soul long after the CD is over.
The band reaches a more diverse cross section of listeners than ever before with this release. The actual storyline of the album is not from any personal viewpoints of band members, but the feelings put into the music are based on events that occurred in their daily lives, thus enabling them to compare feelings being felt throughout the story.
A lot of spoken word is intermingled amongst the tracks; they utilize a muffled microphone sound similar to what you would hear on TV from an evangelist gathering. Evergrey feels that since it is a concept album, the effect gives the album more of a motion picture feel and adds another dimension to the music, a vision for the inner eye if you will. That person of course being the leader of the cult, explaining his ways and beliefs throughout the album, and that keeps the story tied together. All of these impressions come rushing at you mightily, driven home with the building of the music behind all the vocals and spoken word passages, then each track reaches a crescendo and leaves you to ponder the journey you just took, and then another song begins to start the cycle all over again.
With The Inner Circle Evergrey is poised and ready to take their place amongst the greats in rock music. Their distinct sound and originality well surely impress the most discerning rock-metal enthusiast. The many disciples of Evergrey will love this album and more will certainly join the legions of devoted listeners once they hear the pure rock energy blaring out of their speakers.
Note: This page is not endorsed by Evergrey or InsideOut Music. It's primary purpose is to promote the band.
