Evergrey
Architects Of A New Weave
Napalm Records
Condensing an album’s PR blurb can be a tough task at times, especially if it’s laid on a bit thick with the metaphors and hype. With Evergrey’s fifteenth album, ‘Architects Of A New Weave’, the talk is of taking control, being true to oneself and rising above it all. So, it could be argued that “uplifting” may be the word of choice here? Let’s see…
Sonically, ‘Architects Of A New Weave’ is a spectacular specimen, with a richness seldom heard amongst the genre. Hell, one run through of the sort-of title track, ‘Architects Of The New Weave’, and the balance in crunching riffs, caressing melodies and speckled keys on display, surely, sets the standard for how the genre should be mixed. It is polished, but not to a sickening degree, so when the meatier riffs in ‘The World Is On Fire’ hit, they still have a bite to them. It is an immensely rewarding listen, regardless of your setup – everything can be heard, and everything can be felt.
With a mix as good as it is, this allows Evergrey’s songwriting to shine, especially their keen sense of melodicism. Tom S. Englund’s voice, frankly, is beautiful, from low croons to soaring highs; his voice carries emotion in spades and conveys power wherever required. A prime example of this comes in the form of the aching ‘The Script’, where acoustic guitars combine with keys to wonderful effect beneath Englund’s chorus melodic lines. Another of note is the driving and almost nostalgic ‘Leaving The Emptiness’ where the chorus alone will take some shifting from the mind, albeit you’ll likely not want to.
Through all the big melodies, big riffs and drive throughout ‘Architects Of A New Weave’, suffice to say that it is, indeed, an uplifting album. Evergrey provides both light and shade throughout, with darker moments, but as the gloriously positive ‘The Prophecy’ rounds off proceedings, you cannot help but reflect on the experience that this has been. Bold, heartening, and a bloody good listen of melodic metal.
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Reviewed By Lee Carter