Evergrey
Hymns for the Broken
AFM Records
2014
I remember Evergrey, when they first came out. Trying to sell “The Dark Discovery” and largely being ignored, try selling a copy of it on eBay now, 20 years later! Ha! People are slow to realize, what they might like or not, and by that point, even people who were once “original” and pioneering, tend to settle for what would win them an easier living and selling the same “fans” limited editions of “bullshit”, just because there’s no real appreciation for music anymore and there’s little more effort put in creating music, than actually – the business like transaction...
The current reincarnation of Evergrey is a little more than a solo vehicle for Tom S. Englund, since they seem unable to maintain a stable line-up. Even a successful band like them, was on the brink of calling it quits and I am guessing that it’s a far too well established business to let go, after having worked so hard on it, for over two decades. On the other hand, while one could sense a continuity in the bands work as well as a well-intended progression in the sound, that makes them feel relatively contemporary but if you’d compare the earlier works of the band with their current one, you’d only feel like their earlier stuff, was their most inspired, a case that is sadly true, with a lot of people/bands that tend to make a business out of producing albums on a cycle rather when they feel inspired.
“Hymns for the Broken” is full of simplistic and saccharine melodies that are not necessarily very bad, but, given that Englund’s voice is not exactly the most capable voice even in the history of metal and relies more on the timbre and mood to channel emotion rather than vocal ability per ce, I find that his decision to go for this more “spartan” and exposed delivery both brave, but slightly foolish as well as it exposes his limitations as a vocalist. His rather limited way of expression is quickly recycled and becomes quickly tiresome. The somewhat more aggressive style in previous album was a more safe bet, but then again, the trend to get softer had started a while ago... but this is probably, Evergrey at their softest and most uninspired/modern?!
Obviously the “simplified” forms help some of the songs, like the poppy and lamenting “King of Errors” display a slightly more commercial side. But this massive homogenization and attempt to seek some easy hook, seems to have deprived the songs from Identity. I feel like this is a much flatter, boring album than the band has ever done before.
“A New Dawn” at least guitar wise, at points seems to have some “fire”, slightly reminiscent of the past, here and there, because otherwise it falters to the same sloppy messy formula.
“Wake a Change” bases itself a lot more on piano, but it also has some decent guitar melodies... towards the end.
“Archaic Rage” is the first song that’s really sounds pretty interesting on serious terms, yet, from a compositional standpoint is very predictable. And all those “spoken parts at the very end... are just a little messy.
What “Barricades” left me with was a rather memorable solo... because its intro took like forever to get over… and its crescendo, which isn’t too bad, but... yeah, that middle section with the solo is what I liked best about it.
“Black Undertow” is very repetitive in nature, and has a couple of catchy moments, so you might mistake it for a good tune and it’s got some rather passionate, but rather questionable deliveries, overall and there are quite a few things that one could pick out and not like about it beside the chorus repeating like 30 times.
“The Fire” is another modern, prog time, that seems to continually go over the same words and themes, a bit like a “broken”, Manowar record... as if someone took a template of words and riffs notes and rearranged them in every possible way… but wasn’t able to come up with just too many different outcomes.
“Hymns for the Broken” is the title track and it attempts to be a bit more lyrical and involved… actually succeeding in doing so, without being completely bad, or sounding too “forced”.
“Missing You” is a piano ballad and too, it is pretty much OK. There’s sincerity in the effort, but again...it would be better to use some background vocals too or at least some effects than leaving the voice so “exposed”.
“The Final Collapse” is a rather longer piece, maybe even the longest of the album, a bit more involved as it transcends from being a rather peaceful number, into a rather stirring “electrified” one, before coming to a close with the sound of “helicopters”?! That’s quite a way to finish a song I suppose!
Last but not least, “The Aftermath” is a very melodic, but also, quite long, at seven plus minutes song, which has a rather bittersweet flavor.
All in all... I just could not bring myself to either love or to hate the album, but certainly, to anyone that felt that this was a crowning achievement by the band, I would just have to think that they’re either fanboys/girls or people that are promoters lackeys. This is by far one of Evergrey’s less inspired albums, Evergrey on autopilot, going through the motions and just reproducing mannerisms that make them sound like what made them a once, groundbreaking act, with random members, creating, simplistic melodies, for massive consumption. Can’t say that I’m too impressed.
The current reincarnation of Evergrey is a little more than a solo vehicle for Tom S. Englund, since they seem unable to maintain a stable line-up. Even a successful band like them, was on the brink of calling it quits and I am guessing that it’s a far too well established business to let go, after having worked so hard on it, for over two decades. On the other hand, while one could sense a continuity in the bands work as well as a well-intended progression in the sound, that makes them feel relatively contemporary but if you’d compare the earlier works of the band with their current one, you’d only feel like their earlier stuff, was their most inspired, a case that is sadly true, with a lot of people/bands that tend to make a business out of producing albums on a cycle rather when they feel inspired.
“Hymns for the Broken” is full of simplistic and saccharine melodies that are not necessarily very bad, but, given that Englund’s voice is not exactly the most capable voice even in the history of metal and relies more on the timbre and mood to channel emotion rather than vocal ability per ce, I find that his decision to go for this more “spartan” and exposed delivery both brave, but slightly foolish as well as it exposes his limitations as a vocalist. His rather limited way of expression is quickly recycled and becomes quickly tiresome. The somewhat more aggressive style in previous album was a more safe bet, but then again, the trend to get softer had started a while ago... but this is probably, Evergrey at their softest and most uninspired/modern?!
Obviously the “simplified” forms help some of the songs, like the poppy and lamenting “King of Errors” display a slightly more commercial side. But this massive homogenization and attempt to seek some easy hook, seems to have deprived the songs from Identity. I feel like this is a much flatter, boring album than the band has ever done before.
“A New Dawn” at least guitar wise, at points seems to have some “fire”, slightly reminiscent of the past, here and there, because otherwise it falters to the same sloppy messy formula.
“Wake a Change” bases itself a lot more on piano, but it also has some decent guitar melodies... towards the end.
“Archaic Rage” is the first song that’s really sounds pretty interesting on serious terms, yet, from a compositional standpoint is very predictable. And all those “spoken parts at the very end... are just a little messy.
What “Barricades” left me with was a rather memorable solo... because its intro took like forever to get over… and its crescendo, which isn’t too bad, but... yeah, that middle section with the solo is what I liked best about it.
“Black Undertow” is very repetitive in nature, and has a couple of catchy moments, so you might mistake it for a good tune and it’s got some rather passionate, but rather questionable deliveries, overall and there are quite a few things that one could pick out and not like about it beside the chorus repeating like 30 times.
“The Fire” is another modern, prog time, that seems to continually go over the same words and themes, a bit like a “broken”, Manowar record... as if someone took a template of words and riffs notes and rearranged them in every possible way… but wasn’t able to come up with just too many different outcomes.
“Hymns for the Broken” is the title track and it attempts to be a bit more lyrical and involved… actually succeeding in doing so, without being completely bad, or sounding too “forced”.
“Missing You” is a piano ballad and too, it is pretty much OK. There’s sincerity in the effort, but again...it would be better to use some background vocals too or at least some effects than leaving the voice so “exposed”.
“The Final Collapse” is a rather longer piece, maybe even the longest of the album, a bit more involved as it transcends from being a rather peaceful number, into a rather stirring “electrified” one, before coming to a close with the sound of “helicopters”?! That’s quite a way to finish a song I suppose!
Last but not least, “The Aftermath” is a very melodic, but also, quite long, at seven plus minutes song, which has a rather bittersweet flavor.
All in all... I just could not bring myself to either love or to hate the album, but certainly, to anyone that felt that this was a crowning achievement by the band, I would just have to think that they’re either fanboys/girls or people that are promoters lackeys. This is by far one of Evergrey’s less inspired albums, Evergrey on autopilot, going through the motions and just reproducing mannerisms that make them sound like what made them a once, groundbreaking act, with random members, creating, simplistic melodies, for massive consumption. Can’t say that I’m too impressed.