Evergrey are back with another album worthy of their name. Like In search of truth, The Inner Circle is a concept album. This time dealing with religion. As a promo copy equals no lyrics and I am still waiting for my Limited Edition to arrive, I won't go into further detail on the concept. If you have not heard
Evergrey before then The inner circle will be a good start. It has all the
Evergrey elements. Their dark haunting atmosphere, Tom's expressive vocals, the heavy guitars and the special atmospheric keyboard sound each add a layer to
Evergrey's unique sound, which I can only sum up as Dark and slightly Progressive Metal.
Evergrey is one of those bands that are instantly recogniseable and the gloomy, agonizing atmosphere is ever present on The inner circle. The album is more compact and focused than Recreation Day but the songs take a lot longer to stick. I am far beyond the first 20 listens and the album still develops. Not quite to the level of my favorite "In search of truth" yet, but only the future will tell if it does that.
The opening moments of the album slowly draws you into
Evergrey's void and with
A touch of blessing you are soon free-falling through feelings of loss, desperation and hope. It is an interesting mix and one that
Evergrey capture in a very exciting way and with complete success. The opening song has the feeling of setting of on a long undiscovered journey.
The ultra heavy
Ambassador draws you further in with a strong sense of authority and has Tom singing with a lot of aggression. It feels like the song can explode at any time.
One of my favorite songs is
In the wake of the weary, which is driven by excellent guitar work and a thick wall of drums. The song also introduces Carina Englund who sings all the female vocals on the album and does an outstanding job.
The essence of conviction is another favorite. The opening instrumental intro has the coolest break and the song captures me completely from start to finish. It is one of those songs where the keyboard makes a great difference.
The album also has several slower, very atmospheric and emotional songs.
Harmless wishes has some overwhelming huge parts while especially
Waking up blind and
Faith restored capture some touching moments.
Finishing of the album in a perfect way is the haunting
When the walls come down. It is a very powerful track and in fear of spoiling the experience I won't say anymore. It should be experienced first hand.
An special mention goes to the Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra who play all string arrangements and enhance the album greatly.
The Inner Circle is an ambitious concept album that succeeds in drawing me in and makes me feel with the music. I am really looking forward to getting the real album so I can get fully into the story. Like I mentioned it took many listens before the album started to really open up and that is the only minor complaint that I have. Some more instantly memorable songs would have made the album easier to get into, but then the lasting effect might have been partly diminished. I am certain that this will not dissapoint any
Evergrey fan and if you're interested in exploring the darker aspects of Metal music then you can't let The Inner Circle slip by.
Written by
Steen Sunday, May 2, 2004
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