Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Torn is the seventh studio album from Evergrey, a quintet from
Gothenberg, Sweden, and their first on their new label,
Steamhammer/SPV. The band describes its music as dark melodic
metal, which seems appropriate. From the opening measure, Torn
is a consistent prog metal opus, which sometimes seems a bit
‘samey’ to me, but has plenty of good moments. To me, the
strengths of the album are Henrik Danhage’s guitar riffs, Jonas
Ekdahl’s drumming and Tom Englund’s vocals, which are similar in
style to Russell Allen of Symphony X when he is at his least
aggressive (think of his work with Star One).
Englund’s vocals are clean, which is how I prefer my metal
vocals, but with a bit of edge to them. The album consists of
mostly up-tempo rockers, with a good amount of crunch and some
double kick drum. At least seven of the 11 songs are up-tempo,
including “Numb,” a number that features an excellent guitar
solo – perhaps the best on the album. Two of the faster numbers,
album opener “Broken Wings” and album closer “These Scars,”
feature very nice vocal support by Carina Englund, who provides
a sublime female presence. The second track, “Soaked” changes
tempos, as does “Still Walk Alone,” while “When Kingdoms Fall”
provides a slower, more atmospheric side of Evergrey. “Torn”
also is a slower, more atmospheric piece.
Englund and Ekdahl produced the tracks themselves, and the
production is clean, but not overly so. Joining Englund, Ekdahl
and Danhage are keyboardist Ricard Zander and a new bassist, as
Fredrik Larsson was replaced by former Stratovarius musician
Jari Kainulainen. Both perform admirably on this CD.
Overall, the album works well. I think the better songs are at
the beginning and end of the album, with a bit of a bogging down
in the middle. Again, the songs can seem a bit ‘samey,’ but
there is enough quality here to enjoy. Fans of Evergrey’s other
albums will probably enjoy this, as would fans of bands like
Nightwish, Shadow Gallery, Ayreon / Star One and perhaps prog
metal kings Dream Theater and Sympony X.
Track Listing
1) Broken Wings
2) Soaked
3) Fear
4) When Kingdoms Fall
5) In Confidence
6) Fail
7) Numb
8) Torn
9) Nothing is Erased
10) Still Walk Alone
11) These Scars
