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EVERMORE “Mournbraid”
EVERMORE “Mournbraid”
By Colonel Angus
Anyone who has read my reviews previously knows that I’m not a huge fan of power metal. But, some bands (more and more as of late) have made me reevaluate my stance on power metal. EVERMORE is new to me and thankfully this is only their third record so there wasn’t much research to do. I listened to “Mournbraid” first to get a sense of what I was getting myself into and then I reached back into their previous records to see if there is a consistency with their work. After some research, it is clear that EVERMORE is honing their sound with each release. “Mournbraid” is certainly their most focused and best sounding production wise.
As with all of their records, the disk starts off with a moody intro but the real magic happens when they kick off with “Underdark”. There is this great thrashy guitar riffing under what can only be described as a power metal wall of sound. Johan Haraldsson’s voice soars through the musical commotion, rising with power and clarity without ever overshadowing the intricate work of the instruments beneath it. Things slow down with “Nightstar Odyssey” while still maintaining a heaviness that you would expect from this bunch. There is this great thrash section in the middle that really elevates this tune from just another epic power metal song. I like that EVERMORE adds these little elements so that the record doesn’t sound one note throughout.
“Titans” pumps up the adrenaline but this time with more of a gallop and not just full-on power metal. For this tune, they slow things down for a cool mid-section that breaks up the track nicely. Slowing things down again, ‘Oath of Apathy’ drifts toward ballad territory, but the band’s performance pulls it well beyond the usual watered‑down balladry, giving the song some weight that lingers throughout. Upping the ante, EVERMORE channel all the elements of power metal into “The Illusionist (Raise the Curtain)” which is the one song on the record that I just can’t seem to warm up to. There is nothing wrong with it per se but there is nothing that would make me press the repeat button on my CD player.
The band redeem themselves nicely with “Armored Will”, again incorporating some great thrash style guitar riffing that is really the focal point of this track. Haraldsson pulls off some great banshee wails to put the icing on this power metal cake. Going more for just a chugging heavy metal sound, “Ravens at the Gates” is another great tune on “Mournbraid”. By easing off the tempo and giving the riffs room to breathe, the band lets the details of the music step forward, providing the listener a deeper appreciation of the song. For the title track (which comes late within the song sequencing), the band does what they do best which is mixing traditional metal with power metal and then adding these cool thrash elements.
There is a bonus track on “Mournbraid” called “Old Man's Tale” and it is basically a piano/vocal track that showcases Haraldsson’s vocals. I can understand why this is a bonus track and not part of the album proper because it doesn’t really fit the rest of the material but I’m glad that it is added to the disk. While it has the ballad quality you would expect from a piano/vocal track, the performance lifts it from being just a filler tune and is worth getting the version with this song.
After a number of spins and the back catalogue research I completed, I would say that EVERMORE have done themselves proud with Mournbraid. It builds upon the material that came before but with a bit more focus and a production job that lets each instrument shine. More power metal bands could take a page out of EVERMORE’s book and use “Mournbraid” as a template for their releases.
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