(Progressive/Dark Power Metal) [CD] Evergrey - Hymns for the Broken (Limited Edition 2CD) - 2014, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tom Englund - Vocals, Guitars
Henrik Danhage - Guitars
Johan Niemann - Bass
Rikard Zander - Keyboards
Jonas Ekdahl - Drums

It’s been a tumultuous road for Evergrey. At the cusp of absolute world domination something didn’t quite go to plan. Whether it was the odd follow up to masterwork The Inner Circle, changes in the market, stolen gear, the politics of touring, or knock on effects via an almost resolving door of band members; Tom Englund and co were locked in the wrath of the harsher side of the music industry. Nonetheless, Evergrey remained absolute in vision, and quietly licked wounds, priming for a return. What a return it is, signed to one of the finest labels pushing this style of music, and welcoming old favourites Henrik Danhage and Jonas Ekdahl back to the fold; Evergrey present an all-encompassing album in Hymns For The Broken.

For prior fans of Evergrey’s dark, progressively tinged approach to modern metal; I can assure you’re going to feel right at home here. The general vibe is a marriage of the forward thinking arrangement present throughout The Inner Circle, and the pristine, streamlined approach present in the last couple of albums. Dramatic piano and keyboard lines, crying lead guitars, towering rhythms, and of course Tom’s fragile, characteristic vocals are all hallmarks of the Evergrey sound, and as such hallmarks of Hymns. Without a doubt the most progressive I’ve heard the band sound in a while, and maybe just about the most grandiose I’ve ever heard Evergrey sound.

Hymns isn’t a short, digestible full-length. Nor is it an album you can expect to click the first time around. The sound throughout is dense and multifaceted, with opportune anthems spread between spiralling, and towering progressive numbers. Enlisting the talents of the ever-brilliant Jacob Hansen to mix was a masterstroke, and something I’m surprised hadn’t happened sooner. The sound throughout is about as perfect as it gets, with unprecedented clarity, and enough grit to qualify as metal. The ideal sound for Evergrey for sure, with tones across the board pleasing to the ear.

As for the music throughout, like I say there’s definitely that all encompassing feel. The flow throughout is for the most part ace, although the inclusion of the slower, introspective “Wake A Change” early on, does kind of undo the momentum created in the album’s early moments. Nonetheless numbers like the masterful opener “King Of Errors” with its searing Queensrÿche style motifs, and impeccable lead guitar playing, the following Evergrey anthem 101 in “A New Dawn”, or later highlights like the title track and the mammoth “The Grand Collapse”, show the band on top of their game. The latter half of the album in particular, is pretty damn godly.

There are a few slight issues I have with Hymns, although it’s nothing I’d classify as major. The first of which is what I perceive as the use of a child choir in the otherwise stellar “The Fire”. It’s just one of those things I can’t get away with in metal. The other issue is the lack of a true Carina Englund moment. Whether she contributed to the few female vocals on the album is beyond the info I have (my ears aren’t registering her presence – I could be wrong); what I can say, is the lack of a moment heard in tracks like “In The Wake Of The Weary” or “These Scars” on prior albums is something the Evergrey fanboy inside of me will lament.

Minor qualms aside, Hymns For The Broken is an undoubtedly strong release from Evergrey. Pretty much everything great about the band is here, and it’s here in spades, man. The song-writing is both passionate, and progressive, the lyrics poignant, and reflective, and the performances proud, and intimidating. One listen to the superb “Archaic Rage” should be enough to have any Evergrey fan salivating. An album you’re going to want to take the time to get to know, and one rewarding of any time put in. Evergrey are back, and arguably better than ever.

Review written by Andromeda_Unchained for www.metal-observer.com

http://www.evergrey.net/

1.The Awakening
2.King of Errors
3.A New Dawn
4.Wake A Change
5.Archaic Rage
6.Barricades
7.Black Undertow
8.The Fire
9.Hymns for the Broken
10.Missing You
11.The Grand Collapse
12.The Aftermath

1.Hymns for the Broken (Piano Version)
2.Barricades (Piano Version)
3.These Scars (Piano Version)