EVERGREY — In Search of Truth (review)

EVERGREY — In Search of Truth album cover

Album · 2001 · Progressive Metal

4/5 · 2015-09-30
voila_la_scorie

Everygrey’s “In Search of Truth” caught my attention after their latest release “Hymns for the Broken” started getting good reviews on ProgArchives. I decided to get their best rated album which, aside from the great ratings of “Hymns”, was this album. It is based on the book “Communion” by Whitley Strieber, recounting through lyrics and spoken sections the allegedly factual account of Strieber’s repeated abduction by aliens.

Though I’m no expert in this field of metal, I would say the album is mostly symphonic metal with possibly some power metal similarities in a few parts and the odd bit of thrash, though actually all these components may make this out to be exactly symphonic metal. Or is it prog-metal? The guitar sound is wonderfully brain-mulching and heavy but there is also a very strong and up-front piano presence and lots of synthesizer. One thing I really love about the album is how well it uses piano in tandem with the heavy metal band sound. There’s also a bit of electronic effects here and there, a choir sounding totally boss in “Dark Waters”, and a beautiful acoustic guitar / piano duo in “Different Worlds”. Of course there is your double bass drum beats in places and lots of symphonic metal guitar shredding in spots, too. I find the music very satisfying and full of enough variety in both metal and otherwise. The songs can be at times really dark and heavy and other times sad and beautiful.

Special mention must go to Tom S. Englund who does a great job of affecting emotion in his singing. He is not only singing the lyrics to this story of self-doubting and the loneliness and destitution of this incredible experience but he also speaks some parts as the story teller is recording his thoughts into a tape recorded. He starts out pretty bold but near the end, in “Different Worlds” he is whimpering like a child as he sobs, “Oh, god, it’s happening again. They’re here… Please don’t touch me. I don’t wanna be here. I wanna go home.” His vocal performance is very convincing, and the 12-year-old boy in me wonders how he could keep a straight face saying those lines. But with the beautiful minor key piano it’s easy to conjure up an image of a man scared and alone as the mysterious extraterrestrials come silently for him yet again.

Though I think this is an excellent concept album and I can really enjoy listening to it for all the riches of metal sounds and symphonic metal parts and the vocal performance as well, there is still this lingering aftertaste of the entire album being very much the same thing. There’s another piano intro. There’s another thrashy, heavy part. So I can’t smack this baby with a full five-star rating. But a very solid four stars is easily deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It depends on many Things. I can enjoy softer types of metal too (I for example have a couple of pretty positive Skid Row reviews coming up), but you´re right that I usually prefer harder edged metal.

voila_la_scorie wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I read a lot of your reviews, UMUR. I get the impression that "soft metal" isn't your thing.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Not IMO, but as I said I haven´t really enjoyed much of their output beyond this one and it´s predecessor. Probably because it´s their two most hard edged releases (featuring thrash metal elements). I think they went in a "softer" heavy metal direction after this one, and it just doesn´t suit my personal tastes.

voila_la_scorie wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I have to admit that it's growing on me more. Have you heard the latest? Is it that good?

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

This one and the predecessor are great albums. I don´t think they´ve reached the same high quality on any of their other albums.