DEMONSPELLS SONGS TO WATCH
EVERGREY SPECIAL
No more dawning days, only whispers of darkened ways
Issue 74 May 2004
Evergrey The Inner Circle: summation & analysis
Prologue: Continuing their productive schedule, The Inner Circle comes out almost exactly a year after last years Recreation Day, their most successful album, in terms of growing recognition at least, to date. Like 2001s masterful In Search Of Truth, The Inner Circle is a concept album, but in terms of plotting and subject matter is goes far beyond that albums tale of alien abduction (though I continue to stress that anyone who thinks its just about UFOs is missing the point.) The album deals with a man searching for answers in his life and finds himself attracted to a religious cult, and then faces ruin and despair both from within and detachment from the ones he loves. The story is told almost entirely through the music, there are no character names or art accompanying the story. Because mentioning key moments in the story are crucial in evaluating this album, this will contain spoilers.
Epilogue: The Inner Circle is a devastating release that can be very painful to listen to as the emotions and events expressed within are highly disturbing at times. As Tom himself says in the liner notes, this is the antithesis of a feel good album. It is also Evergreys most varied, ambitious, and progressive release to date, highly inspired art with a touch of blessing. Needless to say, it gets my highest recommendation. Be sure to buy the limited edition as it contains three live acoustic tracks: Im Sorry, a clever rearrangement of Recreation Days title track, and a spirited Madness Caught Another Victim. Stay Grey.
Ayreon The Human Equation review
Prologue: The first Ayreon project in four years is predictably a massive undertaking. Once again its a double album, and it features eleven vocalists, none of which had previously collaborated with Arjen with the obvious exception of himself, each playing a different character and almost as many contributing musicians. A series of teasers conducted by the website (a guess the vocalist game, samples and art being revealed daily, etc.) greatly raised anticipation for the album, along with the names associated with the album. But while it carries the spirit of previous Ayreon works, there is one huge difference: it has nothing to do with science fiction. The basic story revolves around a man left comatose from a mysterious accident confronting his deepest emotions while his family struggles alongside him as he battles for his life, and each song represents a day in the story. As with Evergrey, a certain amount of spoilers are required to properly assess the album.
Cast of characters (in alphabetical order): Mikael Akerfeldt Fear Mike Baker Father Marcela Bovio Wife Eric Clayton Reason Magnus Ekwall Pride Heather Findlay Love Devon Graves Agony Irene Jansen Passion James Labrie Me Arjen Lucassen Best Friend Devin Townsend Rage
Day 1: Vigil A brief opening track that sets the pace for the album and begins the division of the songs into those focusing on the emotions and the victims family.
Day 2: Isolation This is a typical Ayreon track, similar in structure to Isis and Osiris on Electric Castle. Were treated to the heavy bombast on the chorus, the first of several dialogue vocals between the characters, and a great middle section beginning with a calm interlude sung by Heather that quickly gives way to the trademark space rock sound.
Day 3: Pain The first indication that this is going to be a bit darker. Most of it is sung by Devon, whose anguished vocals and the moody textures of the music make it sound a bit like his work in Dead Soul Tribe, and Devin, who is unfortunately sparingly used, but delivers.
Day 4: Mystery This song deals with the strange circumstances behind the accident, and builds from an acoustic opening into a satisfying instrumental section. The chorus consists of a dialogue between Arjen and Marcela, who has a commanding voice. It ends with a scream from James.
Day 5: Voices This song begins with a pronounced folk influence, which recurs throughout the album, and quickly adds more progressive elements. Its a good showcase for Magnus bluesy and soulful voice, and we hear Mikael for the first time, who does not sound out of place at all. Nice use of violin here.
Day 6: Childhood The first of a series of songs focusing on our heros childhood, here focusing on his abusive father. This song is in the space-prog style of The Dream Sequencer and features a memorable chorus sung by Akerfeldt.
Day 7: Hope A shorter song drawing on Arjens appreciation for psychedelia and British Invasion pop. But even here the weightier concept is apparent, especially when James interjects.
Day 8: School One of the more complex songs on the album so far, it begins fairly normal but is then takes off thanks to a great chorus, in which Devin interlaces his vocal tracks as only he can. Over half the vocalists are featured on this one (which is only 4:22 in length), including another dialogue section in which Magnus is contrasted with Erics extremely deep and cold vocals.
Day 9: Playground A short guitar-laden instrumental, the only one on the album, which ends the childhood sequence.
Day 10: Memories A poppy track told from the observers point of view, this one does exhibit the cheese factor of previous Ayreon releases, but does feature good use of acoustic guitar and a few surprises.
Day 11: Love Another pop-oriented track that closes the first disc and has been released as a single overseas. This one has a lighthearted feel to it with some elements of humor, but we also get Devon adding some emotional resonance (remember your father ) and Mikael singing a vocal melody he wouldnt dare use in Opeth.
Day 12: Trauma This kicks off the second half of the album and is the longest song on the disc at ten minutes. This will sound instantly familiar to Ayreon fans, albeit a little darker. The atmosphere perfectly suits the mood being described, Arjen gets in some of his best guitar work, and Mikael gets a few growls in.
Day 13: Sign A largely acoustic ballad, sung mostly by Heather before going off into an interlude where the observers see signs of life in the main character.
Day 14: Pride One of the more metallic and catchy songs on the album, this finds James and Magnus trading verses, the former singing in his aggressive Awake style. Nearly every song here has a surprise addition, here its a flute solo that sounds like Ian Anderson jamming with Dream Theater.
Day 15: Betrayal Another moody song in which the main characters terrible secret is revealed. Mikael sings the opening verse which sounds a bit like Floyd (particularly The Final Cut), and Devon also puts on a good performance here. Were also treated to a fluid keyboard solo by guest Martin Orford.
Day 16: Loser This folk-metal song is full of incongruous elements: a didgeridoo in the intro, a Hammond organ solo, an over-the-top performance by Mike as the arrogant father, and Devin screaming his lungs out at the end. It adds up to a song thats lots of fun when on, as if Arjen wanted to limit the silliness to one track.
Day 17: Accident? This begins the final cycle of songs where Me comes to peace with himself and prepares to emerge from the coma. This is also reminiscent of the Dream Sequencer at times, with Eric and Magnus giving good performances.
Day 18: Realization The majority of this song is an instrumental that alternates between the metallic and folky elements, ending with a call and response section in which James answers each of the emotions.
Day 19: Disclosure Here we learn how the best friend got his revenge for the betrayal describes earlier. Once again Arjen channels his love for the psychedelic era in the music, with some orchestral flourishes for the chorus, sung nicely by Marcela.
Day 20: Confrontation At last we reach the grand finale, which has all the elements of one: nearly every vocalist is featured, theres a sense of resolution in the lyrics, and Arjen clearly tries to put in as much drama as possible, lots of distinct melodies and variations upon them here. The song grows in intensity as the main character finally awakens and then we get the surprise ending. I wont reveal it here, but it does leave a black mark on what is otherwise a triumph for Arjen.
Winds The Imaginary Direction Of Time review
CONCERT REVIEW: Iced Earth with Children Of Bodom and Evergrey BB Kings Blues Club, New York, NY April 29, 2004
As you can probably tell by The Inner Circle review in this issue and/or previous posts, I am a huge Evergrey fan, so they were my reason for attending this concert. This is their biggest US tour to date, and they made the best of the opportunity with their seven-song set, beginning with a ferocious version of Blinded. As anyone who has seen them at Progpower knows, they are a dynamic live act and little of the precision of their albums is sacrificed in a live setting. Both of the songs from the new album played (More Than Ever and A Touch Of Blessing minus its intro) went over very well, and older songs like End Of Your Days and Rulers Of The Mind lost none of their power, and every instrument could be heard. By the time they closed with The Masterplan, they had received a good response from the crowd and had undoubtedly left many wanting more. I got to meet Tom, Henrik, and Jonas shortly after their set and they were all very friendly and approachable.
Oh yes, there were two other bands here. My dislike of COB is fairly well documented, and seeing them live did little to change my impression, though I did get some positives here and there (mostly Jannes keyboard playing) while each song seemed to frantically blur into the next. And Alexi did little to dispel the bands immature image (Needled 24/7 got introed with This is a song about being fucking pissed off!) Then theres Iced Earth, a band I would have been extremely excited about 3-4 years ago but my enthusiasm for them has waned almost completely. I did stay for almost their entire set, and heres as unbiased an impression as possible:
High points: Love or loathe Schaffers personality, he does have a clear vision for his band, and his epics, namely the Something Wicked and Gettysburg trilogies played consecutively and in their entirety, did hold my attention throughout, even though some parts really tested my patience, and the Confederate and Union guitar thing was incredibly cheesy IMO. And one thing I cannot take away from Iced Earth is that they are an energetic live act and they have a great drummer.
Low points: It also reminded me of how weak many of their songs are, particularly textbook crunchers like Violate, Greenface, and Red Palms Blue Balls or whatever its called. But the biggest offender would be the 9/11 anthem When The Eagle Cries, which prompted a USA! chant from fans apparently oblivious to the fact its lame, patronizing, and thoughtless. Then theres a certain Ripper Owens. His second hand vocal intonations wore very thin and made them sound like another Priest clone at times, especially when inserted into the older songs, especially ruining Melancholy. And I know Schaffer dislikes it, but theres no excuse for playing nothing from Burnt Offerings.
EVERGREY SPECIAL
No more dawning days, only whispers of darkened ways
Issue 74 May 2004
Evergrey The Inner Circle: summation & analysis
Prologue: Continuing their productive schedule, The Inner Circle comes out almost exactly a year after last years Recreation Day, their most successful album, in terms of growing recognition at least, to date. Like 2001s masterful In Search Of Truth, The Inner Circle is a concept album, but in terms of plotting and subject matter is goes far beyond that albums tale of alien abduction (though I continue to stress that anyone who thinks its just about UFOs is missing the point.) The album deals with a man searching for answers in his life and finds himself attracted to a religious cult, and then faces ruin and despair both from within and detachment from the ones he loves. The story is told almost entirely through the music, there are no character names or art accompanying the story. Because mentioning key moments in the story are crucial in evaluating this album, this will contain spoilers.
- A Touch Of Blessing: The powerful introduction to the album, and a song that already feels like a defining one for the band appropriately the first video for the album. While the previous album opened with rapid notes from Tom Englunds guitar, here we get a clean intro that is reprised later in the song and hints at the gloomy atmosphere present throughout. When the heavy riffs come in, we get a ferocious vocal from Tom, representing one who sees the dangerous allure of the cult. His wife Carina assists on the chorus, and appears on the majority of songs here. This song is also an example of the rich and detailed production of this album, which always works to enhance the dark feel and emotional weight of the storyline.
- Ambassador: The song opens with a sample of a religious leader, a voice that recurs throughout the album. It leads into one of the heavier and more intense tracks here, and the only one where Tom takes the cult leaders point of view. This covers a lot of ground in just over four minutes, as it includes a massive choral vocal (let me be your hand of guidance), a string quartet interlude, and the vocal samples, all anchored by Toms powerful vocals and the insistent keyboards.
- In The Wake Of The Weary: One of two songs written entirely by guitarist Henrik Danhage. Like most of the songs here, it is very busy musically but never fails to hit the mark, especially on its propulsive chorus and the air of uncertainty that follows it. This song centers around the central characters significant other and her disapproval of his actions, and to help advance the story we get an excellent solo spot from Carina. One of the more powerful songs emotionally here, though the really devastating parts are still to come
- Harmless Wishes: This semi-ballad is fast becoming a personal favorite of mine. The slower parts and the heavier chorus, from which the lyrics in this columns introduction are taken, are balanced perfectly, and the Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra is utilized brilliantly at the end of each chorus. As impressive as this is musically (we also get a great melodic solo from Henrik and Carina wailing over the outro), it would be nothing without Toms emotionally charged vocal performance. The section where all we hear is piano and voice is one of the more powerful vocal performances I have heard in recent memory.
- Waking Up Blind: Here we get a stripped down piece, consisting of little more than a simple guitar line. But Evergrey can be just as effective with minimal instrumentation as they are on the denser compositions, and this track is full of raw beauty few bands can match. Once again the lyrics deal with the broken relationship, and they are highly poignant and Tom breathes life into every word. The mixed down vocal on the chorus (unfaithful to life) is a nice touch.
- More Than Ever: Opening with a monstrous riff, this is perhaps the most accessible song on what is probably Evergreys least accessible album to date, to the point where I believe it could be a hit in a more ideal musical climate. It is still very uncompromising, and the music is just as dramatic as before, and the chorus (again featuring Carinas backing) will remain with you for a long time. New drummer Jonas Ekdahl also gets to showcase his talents.
- The Essence Of Conviction: One of the more complex songs on the album, both musically and plotwise. It begins like some of the heavier songs on the last two albums, but soon develops into a multifaceted song with another commanding vocal performance. Lyrically, it touches on pedophilia and self-immolation, and contains a crucial plot development in the birth of the cults appointed savior the samples representing the latter are especially chilling, the song ends with a massive sounding repeated refrain (you liiiiiiiied to meeeeeeee ) over which a babys desperate cry is heard.
- Where All Good Sleep: This is a bit of a departure for Evergrey musically, as it heads into doom territory, the lead riff is reminiscent of Sabbath at times and the song gives the feeling of being lost in the dark. The slower parts here balance nicely with the heavier parts, and the chorus is one of the more memorable ones on the album. Here the main character confronts the cult leader who betrayed him, but most of all himself.
- Faith Restored: This fragile and haunting acoustic ballad finds the storys protagonist free from the grip of the cult (or hes trying to assure himself he is, the leaders voice says otherwise), but it is anything but a celebratory moment. Tom definitely sounds tortured as he sings, and the string quartet once again adds to the mournful feel here. Like Nevermore, Evergreys ballads are always very sad and hit an unsettled chord.
- When The Walls Go Down: Like Scenes From A Memory, the storys conclusion is told not with words but through vocal samples. But unlike that disappointing ending, there is music to go along with it that contains an extraordinary amount of tension, it begins with expertly played classical piano but soon develops into a metallic assault, which combined with the samples, suggest a conclusion full of rage and violence, but Evergrey smartly leaves it up for the individual to interpret it.
Epilogue: The Inner Circle is a devastating release that can be very painful to listen to as the emotions and events expressed within are highly disturbing at times. As Tom himself says in the liner notes, this is the antithesis of a feel good album. It is also Evergreys most varied, ambitious, and progressive release to date, highly inspired art with a touch of blessing. Needless to say, it gets my highest recommendation. Be sure to buy the limited edition as it contains three live acoustic tracks: Im Sorry, a clever rearrangement of Recreation Days title track, and a spirited Madness Caught Another Victim. Stay Grey.
Ayreon The Human Equation review
Prologue: The first Ayreon project in four years is predictably a massive undertaking. Once again its a double album, and it features eleven vocalists, none of which had previously collaborated with Arjen with the obvious exception of himself, each playing a different character and almost as many contributing musicians. A series of teasers conducted by the website (a guess the vocalist game, samples and art being revealed daily, etc.) greatly raised anticipation for the album, along with the names associated with the album. But while it carries the spirit of previous Ayreon works, there is one huge difference: it has nothing to do with science fiction. The basic story revolves around a man left comatose from a mysterious accident confronting his deepest emotions while his family struggles alongside him as he battles for his life, and each song represents a day in the story. As with Evergrey, a certain amount of spoilers are required to properly assess the album.
Cast of characters (in alphabetical order): Mikael Akerfeldt Fear Mike Baker Father Marcela Bovio Wife Eric Clayton Reason Magnus Ekwall Pride Heather Findlay Love Devon Graves Agony Irene Jansen Passion James Labrie Me Arjen Lucassen Best Friend Devin Townsend Rage
Day 1: Vigil A brief opening track that sets the pace for the album and begins the division of the songs into those focusing on the emotions and the victims family.
Day 2: Isolation This is a typical Ayreon track, similar in structure to Isis and Osiris on Electric Castle. Were treated to the heavy bombast on the chorus, the first of several dialogue vocals between the characters, and a great middle section beginning with a calm interlude sung by Heather that quickly gives way to the trademark space rock sound.
Day 3: Pain The first indication that this is going to be a bit darker. Most of it is sung by Devon, whose anguished vocals and the moody textures of the music make it sound a bit like his work in Dead Soul Tribe, and Devin, who is unfortunately sparingly used, but delivers.
Day 4: Mystery This song deals with the strange circumstances behind the accident, and builds from an acoustic opening into a satisfying instrumental section. The chorus consists of a dialogue between Arjen and Marcela, who has a commanding voice. It ends with a scream from James.
Day 5: Voices This song begins with a pronounced folk influence, which recurs throughout the album, and quickly adds more progressive elements. Its a good showcase for Magnus bluesy and soulful voice, and we hear Mikael for the first time, who does not sound out of place at all. Nice use of violin here.
Day 6: Childhood The first of a series of songs focusing on our heros childhood, here focusing on his abusive father. This song is in the space-prog style of The Dream Sequencer and features a memorable chorus sung by Akerfeldt.
Day 7: Hope A shorter song drawing on Arjens appreciation for psychedelia and British Invasion pop. But even here the weightier concept is apparent, especially when James interjects.
Day 8: School One of the more complex songs on the album so far, it begins fairly normal but is then takes off thanks to a great chorus, in which Devin interlaces his vocal tracks as only he can. Over half the vocalists are featured on this one (which is only 4:22 in length), including another dialogue section in which Magnus is contrasted with Erics extremely deep and cold vocals.
Day 9: Playground A short guitar-laden instrumental, the only one on the album, which ends the childhood sequence.
Day 10: Memories A poppy track told from the observers point of view, this one does exhibit the cheese factor of previous Ayreon releases, but does feature good use of acoustic guitar and a few surprises.
Day 11: Love Another pop-oriented track that closes the first disc and has been released as a single overseas. This one has a lighthearted feel to it with some elements of humor, but we also get Devon adding some emotional resonance (remember your father ) and Mikael singing a vocal melody he wouldnt dare use in Opeth.
Day 12: Trauma This kicks off the second half of the album and is the longest song on the disc at ten minutes. This will sound instantly familiar to Ayreon fans, albeit a little darker. The atmosphere perfectly suits the mood being described, Arjen gets in some of his best guitar work, and Mikael gets a few growls in.
Day 13: Sign A largely acoustic ballad, sung mostly by Heather before going off into an interlude where the observers see signs of life in the main character.
Day 14: Pride One of the more metallic and catchy songs on the album, this finds James and Magnus trading verses, the former singing in his aggressive Awake style. Nearly every song here has a surprise addition, here its a flute solo that sounds like Ian Anderson jamming with Dream Theater.
Day 15: Betrayal Another moody song in which the main characters terrible secret is revealed. Mikael sings the opening verse which sounds a bit like Floyd (particularly The Final Cut), and Devon also puts on a good performance here. Were also treated to a fluid keyboard solo by guest Martin Orford.
Day 16: Loser This folk-metal song is full of incongruous elements: a didgeridoo in the intro, a Hammond organ solo, an over-the-top performance by Mike as the arrogant father, and Devin screaming his lungs out at the end. It adds up to a song thats lots of fun when on, as if Arjen wanted to limit the silliness to one track.
Day 17: Accident? This begins the final cycle of songs where Me comes to peace with himself and prepares to emerge from the coma. This is also reminiscent of the Dream Sequencer at times, with Eric and Magnus giving good performances.
Day 18: Realization The majority of this song is an instrumental that alternates between the metallic and folky elements, ending with a call and response section in which James answers each of the emotions.
Day 19: Disclosure Here we learn how the best friend got his revenge for the betrayal describes earlier. Once again Arjen channels his love for the psychedelic era in the music, with some orchestral flourishes for the chorus, sung nicely by Marcela.
Day 20: Confrontation At last we reach the grand finale, which has all the elements of one: nearly every vocalist is featured, theres a sense of resolution in the lyrics, and Arjen clearly tries to put in as much drama as possible, lots of distinct melodies and variations upon them here. The song grows in intensity as the main character finally awakens and then we get the surprise ending. I wont reveal it here, but it does leave a black mark on what is otherwise a triumph for Arjen.
Winds The Imaginary Direction Of Time review
- What Is Beauty?: This track immediately gives an indication that Winds is set to expand on the classically inflected sound of their previous two releases, and introduces us to the philosophical lyrics present throughout the album. Both the vocals and Carl August Tidemanns guitar work are in fine form here.
- Sounds Like Desolation: A thirty-second classical piano solo that serves as an interlude between tracks.
- Theory Of Relativity: This track sets the pattern of opening with the orchestral arrangements before going into the body of the piece. Like most songs on the album, the sound here is highly expansive, and we are treated to a pair of outstanding solos from Carl.
- Visions Of Perfection: A more delicate piece, marked by vocal harmonies and effective use of classical piano. It is more emotional than the pretentious title would indicate, and not entirely devoid of metallic elements.
- The Fireworks Of Genesis: The prerelease mp3 of the album, and one of the more accessible songs on the album, the arrangement here is excellent and the vocals are among the strongest on the album, with the metal and classical influences balanced nicely.
- Under The Stars: As the title suggests, this track has a highly ethereal atmosphere to it. The guitar work here is technically proficient without being overwhelming, and there are moments of understated beauty in the calmer sections.
- A Moment Of Reflection: Beginning here, the album starts to increase in intensity. This track featuring an insistent riff that reminds you this is still a metal album, while remaining complex and emphasizing the classical elements. And the massive swell of guitars towards the end of the track is a definite highlight.
- Time Without End: This track contains some of the most memorable vocal melodies on the album, and the lyrics are compelling and match the textures of the music perfectly. As with most tracks on the album, the orchestral elements accompany the riffs to great effect.
- The Final End: Basically a one-minute extension to the previous song, tracked separately for some reason.
- Beyond Fate: Despite being three minutes, theres just as much detail here as on the previous tracks. Its one of the few times I get the impression that the orchestral parts are built around a metal foundation instead of the other way around. We also get a reprise of the opening track.
- Silence In Despair: This one has a touch of doom metal to it with its descending riffs (the one during the oceans of stars chorus is one of the strongest on the album) and here the atmosphere sounds imposing rather than grandiose.
- Infinity: Another short track on a relatively short album (even with the detailed arrangements, this one feels like it ends prematurely), with some more expertly performed classical piano.
CONCERT REVIEW: Iced Earth with Children Of Bodom and Evergrey BB Kings Blues Club, New York, NY April 29, 2004
As you can probably tell by The Inner Circle review in this issue and/or previous posts, I am a huge Evergrey fan, so they were my reason for attending this concert. This is their biggest US tour to date, and they made the best of the opportunity with their seven-song set, beginning with a ferocious version of Blinded. As anyone who has seen them at Progpower knows, they are a dynamic live act and little of the precision of their albums is sacrificed in a live setting. Both of the songs from the new album played (More Than Ever and A Touch Of Blessing minus its intro) went over very well, and older songs like End Of Your Days and Rulers Of The Mind lost none of their power, and every instrument could be heard. By the time they closed with The Masterplan, they had received a good response from the crowd and had undoubtedly left many wanting more. I got to meet Tom, Henrik, and Jonas shortly after their set and they were all very friendly and approachable.
Oh yes, there were two other bands here. My dislike of COB is fairly well documented, and seeing them live did little to change my impression, though I did get some positives here and there (mostly Jannes keyboard playing) while each song seemed to frantically blur into the next. And Alexi did little to dispel the bands immature image (Needled 24/7 got introed with This is a song about being fucking pissed off!) Then theres Iced Earth, a band I would have been extremely excited about 3-4 years ago but my enthusiasm for them has waned almost completely. I did stay for almost their entire set, and heres as unbiased an impression as possible:
High points: Love or loathe Schaffers personality, he does have a clear vision for his band, and his epics, namely the Something Wicked and Gettysburg trilogies played consecutively and in their entirety, did hold my attention throughout, even though some parts really tested my patience, and the Confederate and Union guitar thing was incredibly cheesy IMO. And one thing I cannot take away from Iced Earth is that they are an energetic live act and they have a great drummer.
Low points: It also reminded me of how weak many of their songs are, particularly textbook crunchers like Violate, Greenface, and Red Palms Blue Balls or whatever its called. But the biggest offender would be the 9/11 anthem When The Eagle Cries, which prompted a USA! chant from fans apparently oblivious to the fact its lame, patronizing, and thoughtless. Then theres a certain Ripper Owens. His second hand vocal intonations wore very thin and made them sound like another Priest clone at times, especially when inserted into the older songs, especially ruining Melancholy. And I know Schaffer dislikes it, but theres no excuse for playing nothing from Burnt Offerings.
