Chugginess
I must admit to taking a chance on Evergrey several years ago with the album 'The Inner Circle'. I'd heard they were a good band with a loyal following and, as a fan of progressive metal and power metal, thought they would be a good bet for my thirteen quid. I was somewhat disappointed with their collaboration of the already mentioned genres. The whole experience seemed flat and lethargic and I soon lost interest. In 2005 the band won me over with an excellent performance at the very first Bloodstock Open Air festival. Their 2006 release 'Monday Morning Apocalypse' was an improvement on 'The Inner Circle' and so we arrive at 'Torn'. The band have recently signed with metal stalwart label SPV, so have they done their new bosses proud?
After a couple of spins, ‘Torn’ once again seems a little lethargic and lacking in urgency. It’s an improvement on ‘The Inner Circle’ and arguably 'Monday Morning Apocalypse' but the band seem unwilling to really let rip. But it was after the third listen that it suddenly dawned on me that Evergrey, although lumped with the mantle of progressive/power metal, are neither good examples of the aforementioned genres. The traits of power metal, the speed, the cheese, the over-the-top solos and the falsetto screams never emerge. The long songs, mind-blowing instrumental breaks and technical prowess of progressive metal aren’t present. So why have the band been pigeonholed as progressive/power metal? Probably because it’s easy and there’s a ready-made audience for it. But for all these years I’d been listening to Evergrey for the above characteristics and became frustrated when they didn’t deliver. If you consider Evergrey as a straight forward melodic metal band then, ‘Torn’ especially, becomes a very entertaining listen.
No doubt the Evergrey fans will disagree with the above but since my personal revelation this album has rarely been out of my CD player. Opener and highlight 'Broken Wings' is classic Evergrey. It utilises a chugging one-note rhythm with a little keyboards sprinkled over the top. Thankfully the guitars have a gorgeous tone to them. They're heavy and loud without being overpowering and don't detract from the actual song-writing. Other highlights include the dark sounding 'Fear', the epic tendencies of 'When Kingdoms Fall' and the Nevermore flavoured ' Numb'. To be honest there isn't a weak track across any of the track listing. There are tracks that work better than others but on the whole 'Torn' is an album where Evergrey flex their metal muscle without having to play fast or a weedy ballad (Thank God).
‘Torn’ is a great album that will please their fanbase and probably pick up a lot more interest depending on how SPV market them. This album is certainly a good place to start with the band. It maintains a certain quality from start to finish. It’s accomplished and seasoned by a band who’ve found their niche. Just be aware that if you’re new to the band their niche isn’t in the genre’s they’re listed in. If you can get past that little factor then you’ll spend many happy hours listening to ‘Torn’.