EVERGREY
EVERGREY – “Theories of Emptiness”
By Colonel Angus
I can’t believe it has already been two years since my favorite Swedish metalers EVERGREY released “A Heartless Portrait” (The Orphean Testament). Well, this year is shaping up to be a stellar year for album releases so I was very anxious to get my hands on “Theories of Emptiness” as soon as possible. I was partially nervous because EVERGREY has been on such a great run of releases that I keep wondering when that run will finally end and they put out something that will dip in quality. After that bit of anxiety, I am happy to say that “Theories of Emptiness” continues in their high level of quality and it is just as great as their recent efforts. Will it replace “In Search of Truth” for me or many fans? I doubt it, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t one of the best records of 2024.
The disk starts off with a proper EVERGREY track that contains that trademark “crunchy” riffing and the emotional vocals of Tom S. Englund. I can see why they chose this as the first single/video as it has a larger than life chorus and is the perfect introduction to the rest of the record. The only way to follow up something like that is to slow things down ever so slightly but without sacrificing heaviness or melody. “Misfortune” has an epic feel and the gang vocals on the chorus give it that extra element to really heighten the drama to this tune.
Next up we get a menacing “To Become Someone Else” that starts off with a piano-vocal intro but quickly morphs into a trademark EVERGREY song. There is a very cinematic mid-section that is interrupted by some heavy riffs that all leads back to that classic sound. Second single “Say” moves this release forward and this time, the sound is slightly more commercial and has hit single written all over it. It reminds me a lot of "Passing Through" from “The Storm Within” but it still has its own vibe. Four songs in and it already feel familiar yet still fresh and new.
Things get a little mellower with the plodding ballad “Ghost of My Hero”. Although this is a ballad type song, it is an EVERGREY ballad which means it is still heavy in feel and has a very epic sound. Musically, it has the sort of vibe as the end of "The Paradox of the Flame". That heavy riffing rears its glorious head again with “We Are the North” with the Rikard Zander’s keyboards contrasting beautifully to give the song a very full sound. Again, Englund’s vocals really shine on this tune and add drama to the lyrics. “One Heart” both sounds like EVERGREY and doesn’t sound like them. It has a very JUDAS PRIEST-ish riff but Englund’s voice makes it unmistakably EVERGREY and has a very commercial sound. If the band is looking for a follow up to single “Say”, this would be a good choice. It does have elements that are very typical but the chorus and some of the riffing is a new piece to the puzzle. I like that the band is always expanding their pallette of musical colors to paint these tracks on their records.
Once again, the band return to their classic sound with another catchy track. “The Night Within” moves along nicely without a lot of that “crunchy” guitar riffing but instead more refined guitar work. I have to say that the guitar work from England and Henrik Danhage never gets old and while they have their sound, it also doesn’t get very repetitive. They are Tony Iommi in that they have a so many riffs but yet each one is unique and pulls a different emotion. “Cold Dreams” is EVERGREY at their proggy best. This tune is almost seven minutes and it twists and turns merging all of the classic EVERGREY elements along with adding a new one. I don’t recall any “cookie monster”-ish vocals in EVERGREY tunes but here they are provided by KATATONIA’s Jonas Renkse. I could be wrong but for the life of me, I can’t name a track that has that vocal style in the EVERGREY catalogue. Either way, it is just a minor part with most of the tune ranging from epic to ballad to full on EVERGREY. It is definitely the standout track for me at this moment.
The album ends with a couple of songs that deal with emptiness with “Our Way Through Silence“ taking a more traditional approach with solid riffing and an almost uplifting sound. The final track is a somber and dark tune that is basically just piano and a child-like voice talking about emptiness. “A Theory of Emptiness” is a very short tune clocking in at just over two minutes and almost acts as an outro to the record. It is a fitting end to another EVERGREY album that is both familiar and new.
There are a couple of new elements added to their sound that keeps things interesting but fans of the trademark sound will be very happy with the results. I may be speaking too early but I can’t imagine this record not being in my top ten of 2024. I may need some more time with “Theories of Emptiness” to see where it fits in with the rest of the catalogue but right now, it ranks pretty high with their other records.