Evergrey The Atlantic CD Review
AFM Records
2019
Progressive Metal
Evergrey have always had that work horse attitude of ‘head down and plough on’, they have slogged it out tirelessly throughout their career, releasing albums that have not always gained the respect and acclaim they deserve but Evergrey do what they do very well. After a short break for the support of their last album ‘The Storm Within’, where vocalist Tom Englund was announced as the new front man for Redemption, Evergrey returns with their latest album ‘The Atlantic’.
As expected, ‘The Atlantic’ follows in pretty much the same mould as the rest of Evergrey’s discography and therefore, there isn’t anything here that is likely to shock or leap out as significantly different. However, this is not a bad thing, Evergrey have found their little niche within their progressive metal genre and are happy to exploit it. There is something on ‘The Atlantic’ which can rival ‘Recreation Day’ and ‘In Search of Truth’ and that is the song writing and craftsmanship; tracks such as ‘Weightless’, ‘A Silent Arc’ and ‘All I Have’ really guide this album forward from generic progressive metal wasteland into an album worth listening to.
One of the best things about this album is unlike a lot of their peers within the genre, ‘The Atlantic’ does not feel constrained by obtuse time signatures, a clinical production or pointless sections which add nothing, instead, the latest Evergrey album is a warm album that can easily be embraced, picked up and enjoyed; this is partly down to the concept being one that is not utterly insane or bonkers, but instead follows a maritime story which ebbs and flows along nicely.
Just like a lot of Evergrey releases, ‘The Atlantic’ will not exactly set the world on fire, however, just beneath the progressive metal veneer is an album which is exciting, emotional and above all, replayable and is certain to become a fan favourite for years to come.
Rating : 86/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
