It has taken a short couple of years, but Swedish metal veterans Evergrey are back with their 14th studio album. In Theories Of Emptiness is an album which combines progressive metal elements with unpredictable sounds and surprises that would make any avid music listener absolutely delighted. This is an album that showcases top notch musicality and the most dynamic song writing of any metal record up until this point in the year.
In Theories Of Emptiness starts off where Evergrey’s previous album ends. ‘Falling From The Sun’ is the opener, and lead single taken from this record. The uniqueness starts right from the get go as this is a song that is a sequel from a track from their previous album called ‘Ominous.’ ‘Falling From The Sun’ is a fairly easy introduction to this album as the chorus is extremely catchy and memorable, whilst the guitars shine, which is noticed consistently throughout this record.
The second song, ‘Misfortune’ sounds completely different to the previous, and at this point, it is easy to tell that each song will have its own identity. This song is slower, doomier but once again has a memorable chorus because of the powerful backing vocals that accompany frontman Tom Englund’s iconic voice.
The fourth track on this album is the second single ‘Say.’ Up until this point, keyboardist Rikard Zander had not had his chance to shine. This changes here. His playing adds another layer to this song’s chorus, which makes the chorus that much more memorable in an album that is filled with huge choruses. The end of this song also signifies a change of pace for this record. Following this, there are a couple of more mellow, slower tracks which drastically increase the album’s runtime. Once again demonstrating how impressive and musically dynamic this album is.
Track number seven is the real gamechanger on Theories Of Emptiness. ‘One Heart’ is filled with the typical Scandinavian metal sound with by far the biggest sounding chorus of the entire record which would make any classic rock band wish they would have come up with this melody. The ending of the song right after the solo builds up into a energetic chant which ends with the line “Our Hearts United.” A statement that is important now more than ever this point in the year.
While ‘One Heart’ may be the catchiest song on the album, ‘Cold Dreams’ is the most creative. A six minute long epic, here, lead vocalist Englund is joined by his daughter as well as Jonas Renkse who provides the only gutturals on this album, adding another layer of creativity to an album which oozes ideas out of each and every song. The songwriting is top notch as not only are there rhythm changes, but the chorus is a very melancholic slap to your face. Another powerful example of the exceptional song writing Evergrey is capable of.
This album closes with two completely different tracks. ‘Our Way Through Silence’ is a mid-paced but heavy track, whilst the album closer itself is the shortest song on the album, and it does not feel like an actual song. It feels as if it was a really short piece to force the listener into thinking about who they really are as people deep down. Another very creative touch which is a testament to what this band wants to achieve with this album.
This is the best sounding metal album so far this year. It sounds incredible. Not only do the guitars sound chuggy, the vocals are powerful, the bass can be heard throughout the album clearly, whilst the drums sound extrememly powerful and punchy in the mix. Mixed by ex periphery member Adam Getgood, the band have clearly nailed the mix with this album, which really helps immerse the listener into the album as a story and as a collective of songs.
Overall, this album is top notch in nearly every aspect. The only problem is that with an album that is meant to be dynamic, tracks five and six are slightly similar which disrupts the flow of the album. When the rest of this album is this consistent, it does not matter if the songs are not as different. This is what Evergrey have pulled off. An album that is powerful yet consistent. With this being drummer Jonas Ekdahl’s final album with the band, he leaves as a national hero, and Everygrey remain at the top of their game with the metal album of the year at this point in the year.
