We all have that band, don’t we? The band that can’t do any wrong? Well, Evergrey is that for me, and I do consider them my all-time favorite band. I unabashedly love every album they’ve ever produced. The band is back with some lineup changes, but they sound as good as ever. The record is called Architects of a New Weave and it launches on June 5th through Napalm Records.
Evergrey has been one of my favorite bands for 20 years at this point. Over the last few years, I started saying they are my favorite band, full stop. They’ve been through lineup changes in the past, and have always managed to put out some incredible music. This time (yet again), they’ve lost Jonas on drums and Henrik on guitar. In steps Simen Sandnes (Temic) on drums and Stephen Platt (Scar Symmetry) on guitar. The rest of the lineup includes Tom S. Englund on vocals and guitar, Rikard Zander on keyboards, and Johan Niemann on bass. You will also hear Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquility and Salina Englund on guest vocals.
The band has shifted their sound over the years, starting as gothic metal, proceeding into something more like progressive or power metal, but to me it’s all just “Evergrey”. They lean towards various metal subgenres depending on the song and lyrical content. This time they’ve acquired Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Lux Terminus, Within Temptation, Pain of Salvation live) as a songwriter and producer. I think that’s a very important step for the band, one that will truly start a new era in their sound.
For me, Vikram’s fingerprints can be heard all over the album, yet the band still retains their classic sound. The riffs are still heavy, the vocals are more emotional than ever, the power can still be felt across every instrument. Hell, Simen’s drumming style is even similar to a more robust version of Jonas, turning up the technical fireworks. But this album has a vivid sense of melodic flow. You can hear the river of emotion better than ever (crank this album up!), the keys are forward in the mix without betraying the guitars, and the whole affair feels energetic and alive. It’s infectious!
Now, I do have a beef with Napalm here. The album has twelve tracks, and I ordered myself a vinyl copy. But there’s apparently also a deluxe version which includes last year’s incredible “Oxygen” single (also co-written by Vikram), plus five other tracks, including “One Heart” from 2024’s Theories of Emptiness (it was only on a special edition vinyl), and some instrumental, live, and demo tracks. There’s one called “Heights” which is totally new and I’m dying to hear, too. Anyways, that version was double the price, but I didn’t realize it existed until a couple weeks ago. Sigh.
What I have heard is the twelve main tracks, and I love them all. In the first half, we get the title track and “The World Is on Fire” singles. The former took some time for me, but I’ve come to love its winding chorus as it worms itself into my brain. The latter was immediate for me; I absolutely love how it flows and rolls off the tongue so naturally. I can’t get enough. In the first half, we also get the opening spoken word “Welcome to the Pattern” and the incredibly catchy “The Shadow Self”, which sounds unlike anything they’ve done with its light and feathery chorus. I love it.
We also get “Heaven”, another super catchy piece which sounds both fresh and at times like some 2000’s Evergrey songs. Something about the guitar soloing on this one stokes the nostalgic fires in me. The first half ends with “The Script”, heavy on keys and with some of the most emotive vocals on the record. It is bold and wears its heart on its sleeve.
In the second half, the album doesn’t slow down. I love “Leaving the Emptiness”, maybe my favorite of the three singles, not only for its sing-able energy, but also for the lyrical power that provides exactly the hope some of us need right now. “Longing” follows and has all the expression I expected, but also some great guitar work. It’s pretty close to a ballad at times. “The Burning Flame” is next, featuring Mikael Stanne, and I love how Tom’s vocals blend with Mikael’s so seamlessly; it’s more upbeat and passionate. I love that.
The last three tracks are fantastic. “Call Off Your Lions” might be my favorite on the record; the weird thing is that’s not overly catchy, but there’s something cinematic, shadowy, and simply beautiful about it. I love the vocal harmonies near the end. “Chains of Shame” comes next with one of the heaviest songs overall and with a chorus full of grit, yet it also contains a bright and beautiful instrumental portion that is exquisite. The closer is “The Prophecy”, and it’s the ballad. You’ll especially hear Tom’s daughter, Salina, on this piece (though you will hear her throughout the record), and there’s just a sense of finality, hope, freedom, and purity about this song. I love it so much.
Evergrey has evolved again and the writing is as good as ever. Architects of a New Weave is not only a powerful and energetic record, but also a lyrical tempest that will draw negative emotions from your veins like poison. Some artists make depressing music during dark times, and we need that, but we also need artists who raise us out of the fire, up from the ashes to claim the future. We are at the reins. We control what happens next. That is exactly how this album makes me feel, like I can create a conscious tomorrow, and we can all do this, united and together.
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