I just read an interview with Henrik and Michael

[In a State of Paralysis]

And I gotta address something. The chick or whoever asks Michael about the early downloads of the album and the negative responses on the site before Monday Morning was even out. This is his response:

"In one way it sucks that people download the album a month or two before it is released, but on the other hand downloading is a possiblity everyone has and there is nothing you can do about it. It is something that you have to accept.I really don’t pay too much attention to when people download it. For me it is just funny if people download it and then visit our web page and talk about it, because for me that is just a way of not showing respect."
and:
"At the same time it is fantastic, that people really react, both in a good and in a negative way, because it is just fantastic that five guys from Gothenburg really can move people throughout the world to that extend that they sit down and write page after page about how much they hate the album. It is those peoples right aswell. But most of the people really love the album and they are more important to me than the ones that diss it, because up until yesterday they have been steeling(sic) the album from me, so fuck them you know."

So here I go. I had my share in negatively commenting on the album before it was out. In this very forum. And I'm not ashamed of it.
My roommate downloaded it and I couldn't resist hearing a new Evergrey album. Why? Cause they are one of my top three, if not my favorite band. I had him send me the album so I could sit down and focus on it, like I did every time I got a new Evergrey album. I was fucking filled with excitement like a little kid, anticipating their next album ever since I got TIC. I own every one btw (the first was SDT a week after its release), as well as A Night to Remember the DVD, and I've supported them every single time they've gone through Ohio. This means tickets to every show, two concert shirts and two posters. I got The Inner Circle at the show with Iced Earth and Bodom, a day or two before it was released in the states, the digipack. My Recreation Day digi is signed by every member.

My point with all that rambling is that I support Evergrey to the extent that my wallet allows me. I always have, and I always will (MMA is in the mail). So I listened to this downloaded album, four times start to finish in a couple days. My feelings towards what I heard were so strong that I had to see if anyone else felt as disheartened and disappointed as I. So logically I hit the official forum and saw that a bunch of people like me had heard and were even openly discussing the album before it was out. I read all the posts and had to make my opinion known right after as well. Several times. And there you have it.

Basically what I'm saying is this:
yes, I'm positive that a bunch of the people that posted about the downloaded album will not buy it, or have not put the money into the band like I and might own like a CD or two, tops. And to that I say yes, fuck them like Michael said. But seriously, Michael or anyone else from the band that might read this, consider that the other portion of people who posted negatively and downloaded are in my position. Real fans who fully support the band financially and were going to buy the new album regardless. True fans who shared that sunken feeling that I had and just had to let it be known and discussed with others. After all this is the place to be if you're a fan, the official forum right? We aren't trying to be disrespectful to the band or steal the album, we were just saying what we believed as diehard believers of the band. And we said it here and then because when we heard it a crushing blow hit us. You know how you need to get something off your chest ASAP when you truly feel strongly about it. So don't just disregard our opinions as disrespectful internet thieves, instead I urge you to consider them most as those of devoted fans.


Cliffs: This is too long to give cliffs to, so don't read it if you suffered through 4th period english. I had to get this off my chest and maybe someone will read it all. I'd be nice if a band member did too. Discuss :Smokin:

 

[livingsteele]

Cool of you to post this interview at least in part. It's always nice to get their perspective on things. I don't take these comments personally. Perhaps many others will. The guys just seemed to have hurt feelings that the new album wasn't entirely accepted as well as they'd have liked. At the same time, they seemed grateful for all the attention.

 

[ikoz]

hi there.

i truely think that people who downloaded the cd & LOVED IT will go & buy the cd ligally if they are a true fans.
you realy want to continue & support the band & help them grow & make new music so buying the cd is a part of it.
on the other hand there are so many bands around & i as a music lover who has a limited budget think that the only way to stick to the budget is by filtering the music through downloading & getting the first impression.
than if you like it - buy it ligally & SUPPORT THE BAND.
if you dislike it - delete it.

CHEERS
IKOZ.

 

[peza]

Basically what I'm saying is this:
yes, I'm positive that a bunch of the people that posted about the downloaded album will not buy it, or have not put the money into the band like I and might own like a CD or two, tops. And to that I say yes, fuck them like Michael said. But seriously, Michael or anyone else from the band that might read this, consider that the other portion of people who posted negatively and downloaded are in my position. Real fans who fully support the band financially and were going to buy the new album regardless. True fans who shared that sunken feeling that I had and just had to let it be known and discussed with others. After all this is the place to be if you're a fan, the official forum right? We aren't trying to be disrespectful to the band or steal the album, we were just saying what we believed as diehard believers of the band. And we said it here and then because when we heard it a crushing blow hit us. You know how you need to get something off your chest ASAP when you truly feel strongly about it. So don't just disregard our opinions as disrespectful internet thieves, instead I urge you to consider them most as those of devoted fans.

I'm convinced that Michael would agree on this as well.

Stay grey and evil!

 

[Colonel]

hi there.

i truely think that people who downloaded the cd & LOVED IT will go & buy the cd ligally if they are a true fans.
you realy want to continue & support the band & help them grow & make new music so buying the cd is a part of it.
on the other hand there are so many bands around & i as a music lover who has a limited budget think that the only way to stick to the budget is by filtering the music through downloading & getting the first impression.
than if you like it - buy it ligally & SUPPORT THE BAND.
if you dislike it - delete it.

CHEERS
IKOZ.

Completely agree with this. I started downloading a few Evergrey tracks when I first got into them and then purchased all the albums released up to that point (recreation day) and I continued to purchase the others as they came out. I've done the same with numerous other bands. Downloading has infact led me to purchase more CDs than I would have, had I not been able to listen to what I'm getting before hand.

 

[In a State of Paralysis]

Yeah, I'm glad you guys read that and it means alot that you share some of my sentiments about this. I felt I had to ramble after reading that part of the interview because it felt like my honest heartfelt opinion on the album was lost, totally negated because I voiced it on a downloaded leaked version. I agree with all the responses but it's hard not to take comments like that personally as a longtime fan of the band. I respect a band's decision to do what they want, but Monday Morning seems very odd to me and I can't understand why a band with such talent and amazing past achievements (every album until this) would collectively decide to dumb down their sound and ruin the production. Unfortunately, this seems to be a trend with many bands where their natural "progression" is rather a digression in overall sound. Hey it's cool do what you want but what's a band that doesn't consider their fans' opinions? After all we are the ones who have been your support when you were much less known and I was hurt when our voices fell on deaf ears.

 

[jaimek]

but what's a band that doesn't consider their fans' opinions? After all we are the ones who have been your support when you were much less known and I was hurt when our voices fell on deaf ears.

You know what happens when a band pays too much attention to other people's opinions about what sort of music they should create?

Dream Theater. nuff said.

 

[Eddie Misery]

You know what happens when a band pays too much attention to other people's opinions about what sort of music they should create?

Dream Theater. nuff said.

well said.

i have also been a long-standing evergrey fan--damn near from the beginning. i am proud to own every album and the dvd, and was equally as proud to add MMA to the collection. i think it's a great album. they are a kick ass band and always will be. people are, of course entitled to their opinions and i can respect that--that's cool. and you can't please everyone all the time. but honestly--one of the first things that popped into my head when i began to read so many people's negative opinions of the cd was that....well, do you really want every cd to sound the same?? every album has it's own distinct theme and feel and emotional power to it--not to mention the incredible talent and soul put into each one as well--and in my eyes MMA, although a bit short, held just as true to that standard.

my point is this: just because a cd is different than what you expected it to be doesn't make it a bad album--everyone loved TIC and that was in some ways quite a departure from Recreation Day or any of the preceding albums. It was their first through-and-through concept album where every song was a vivid chapter of a story and reached a climax and fall, as any good story should. And now their new album, which is a bit of a departure from TIC--some people just don't like change. But on the flip side I'm quite sure that if it was too similar to TIC or any other album, the same people that shared complaints about MMA being too "different" would then say that it was just a repeat of a previous album and too "similar".

but as i said, everyone is entitled to their opinion...just thought i'd share mine and see if anyone felt the same.

 

[Eddie Misery]

but what's a band that doesn't consider their fans' opinions? After all we are the ones who have been your support when you were much less known and I was hurt when our voices fell on deaf ears.

i do agree that bands should consider their fans' opinions--but just b/c you are unsatisfied with a given album or a band member's response to people's discontent with the album does not mean that they didn't consider your opinion while writing the album or in any other way. but as i said before you can't please everyone. not to mention that they also have to consider their own opinions as well--if every album they composed was on the basis of everyone else's opinions and never their own, they'd never be satisfied with their own work b/c they'd be trying to please everyone else all the time. so they have to consider their own opinions as well, and their opinions may not always be the same as the fans' opinions and that's just how it goes.

 

[In a State of Paralysis]

You know what happens when a band pays too much attention to other people's opinions about what sort of music they should create?

Dream Theater. nuff said.

Are you talking about Train of Thought or what? I haven't had too many disappointments from those guys, especially not with the last two albums if that's what you a referring to.

 

[In a State of Paralysis]

well said.

i have also been a long-standing evergrey fan--damn near from the beginning. i am proud to own every album and the dvd, and was equally as proud to add MMA to the collection. i think it's a great album. they are a kick ass band and always will be. people are, of course entitled to their opinions and i can respect that--that's cool. and you can't please everyone all the time. but honestly--one of the first things that popped into my head when i began to read so many people's negative opinions of the cd was that....well, do you really want every cd to sound the same?? every album has it's own distinct theme and feel and emotional power to it--not to mention the incredible talent and soul put into each one as well--and in my eyes MMA, although a bit short, held just as true to that standard.

my point is this: just because a cd is different than what you expected it to be doesn't make it a bad album--everyone loved TIC and that was in some ways quite a departure from Recreation Day or any of the preceding albums. It was their first through-and-through concept album where every song was a vivid chapter of a story and reached a climax and fall, as any good story should. And now their new album, which is a bit of a departure from TIC--some people just don't like change. But on the flip side I'm quite sure that if it was too similar to TIC or any other album, the same people that shared complaints about MMA being too "different" would then say that it was just a repeat of a previous album and too "similar".

but as i said, everyone is entitled to their opinion...just thought i'd share mine and see if anyone felt the same.

Alright, I respect your statements in this post. A couple of things I must disagree with: Inner Circle was not their first concept album like you described. In Search of Truth, which is their best effort IMO, is a concept album exactly like you described TIC, so it is in fact not such a departure from previous efforts. Plus it still had these elements which I feel Monday Morning has almost totally abandoned: Audible, complex key arrangements and orchestration which add the classic Evergrey multi-faceted sound. Clear and powerful production which both conveys the emotion of Tom's voice as well as that of the instruments. Song structures that doesn't go riff-verse-chorus-riff-verse-chorus-solo-chorus, but is rather well designed and somewhat complicated. Songs that extend past the 4-5 minute mark and don't leave you blue balled. Leads and harmonies along with riffs that are not simply heavy for the sake of heaviness, but are vital to effective storytelling.
I could go on but I guess this is enough.

 

[jaimek]

Are you talking about Train of Thought or what? I haven't had too many disappointments from those guys, especially not with the last two albums if that's what you a referring to.

Since FII in particular, the band has been pingponging between pleasing the record label, pleasing the prog side of their fanbase, and pleasing the heavier side of their fanbase. With the exception of a handful of tracks, the band has become a shadow of mediocrity compared to what they were on the first three albums, which were done without that kind of pressure. I kept giving them chances, but SFAM was the last disc I actually liked, and even that's got a please-the-masses stinker track on it.

I don't ever want to see Evergrey devolve into the soulless machine that that poor band has become, trying to meet everyone else's expectations of them and becoming completely devoid of the passion and joy in the music as a result.

Strictly IMO, of course.

 

[Eddie Misery]

Well I didn't mean that it was their first altogether--I know that In Search of Truth was definitely a concept album. But TIC seemed to me to be a much tighter story, if that makes any sense. I'm not knocking In Search of Truth cuz I absolutely love that cd. But TIC made the concept feel more emotional to me somehow and the stories seemed more personal to the character. I agree with you though as far as song structures go--they were much less complex for MMA and I miss the crazy key arrangements as well. The formulas changed a lot and I too was a bit disappointed by the length of the album considering that there are 12 songs. I still think it's a great cd though. Probably the biggest departure from anything they've done so far but I feel that it just gives all the more reason to look forward to their next album and see what comes next.

 

[Eddie Misery]

I don't ever want to see Evergrey devolve into the soulless machine that that poor band has become, trying to meet everyone else's expectations of them and becoming completely devoid of the passion and joy in the music as a result.

Strictly IMO, of course.

couldn't have said it any better myself.

 

[Kuksug!]

I think its a non topic... Evergrey creates the music they like and thinks sound good. And they will always be true to that way of making music cause its what makes them feel good and they enjoy playing it. My favourite album is recreation day and all of the other albums come really close to RD except for in search for truth. Masterplan is great by the way...of course its in my collection but they cant all be highligts and thank heavens that all the albums dont sound the same. Thats a very strong side of EG. and its also great that they have lyrics people can relate to and be moved by. Man its boring to hear 5 albums with steel, hammer, warrior, repeating itself in every song...

 

[goinpostal04]

You know when i went to see Iron Maiden at Jones Beach a few years ago, in between songs Bruce was talking about a famous musician(Lars) who was really pissed about people downloading music for free and bla bla bla,you know the story anyway Bruce then begins to say that personally he really doesnt care either way cause he knows the TRUE Iron Maiden fans will go out and buy the cd's anyway also with the prices of cd's today who can blame them.Now this is coming from a musicians mouth.Look your gonna get people who will download music and not go out and buy the cd,it just happens.Me I always buy the cd,to help support the bands.Evergrey is my favorite band and until them i never had a "favorite" band,but there is just something about there music.I just don't know what it is.So regardless of how awful one of there cd's is or will be to me (which none are by the way) I will always go out and buy there cd.

Pat

 

[Black Rain]

I fucking hate MMA but I bought it with my own $ Henrik needs to realize there are still fans who will buy the album regardless.