A Touch of Metal

Hey everyone,

I'm back with another dose of metal... only this time, I'll admit that what you'll hear is pretty balls-to-the-wall. Based in Sweden, Evergrey puts the metal in "progressive metal." Some things are to be expected: heavy riffs, plenty of double kick rhythms, and a decent amount of black eyeliner. That being said, Evergrey somehow blends the darkness and evilness of your typical metal band with melodic gospel-style choruses and Pink Floyd-esque solos and duets. Frontman Tom S. Englund not only shows off his powerful pipes on the band's live DVD "A Night to Remember (2004)," but he also tears it up on guitar in harmonized solos with lead guitarist Henrik Danhage. Sure, the title makes it sound like a bar mitzvah video, but rest assured, it's not. Here's a video of the song "More Than Ever" from their live DVD. It's one of my favorites-- another favorite being "A Touch of Blessing" (so check that out if you liked the first one.)



For a first album, I would recommend "The Inner Circle." It's different from their earlier albums in the sense that it's a little more interesting stylistically, but it still rocks. Also, look out for Evergrey's new album sometime before Christmas 2008!

ROCK,

The Real Dan.