It’s not often I’m going to go back to 2001 and review an album. Hell, that’s 17 years. But Evergrey’s In Search of Truth has set the tone for the band and in many ways, still the “go to” release for Evergrey. The very first song set the tone with a spoken intro you seldom hear and hear even less done well. Rest assured this set the tone for Evergrey and the creativity they would produce in the many years and releases to come.
You can certainly hear the influences of bands such as Symphony X, Kamelot and Dream Theater in the work they do from vocals to lyrics to instrumentation across the board. Rulers of the Mind, the 2nd track on In Search of Truth (originally released in 2001, remastered in 2018) is a true progressive rock classic that will mix a range of musical emotions that will drive you and calm you down in just a few short minutes.
Watching the Skies will hit you hard form the start and by the very next song, State of Paralysis will slow you down and still maintain that haunting emotional feel that is the bands trademark from the 2001 outset to today. By the time you’re setting the mood we leave this song and move to The Encounter that once again picks up the pace and the driving guitars come back into view.
What I’ve come to appreciate about Evergrey over the years is they stay the same and grow/change all at the same time. I hear in their music from 2001 what I hear through their entire career; Operatic progressive rock with a mixture of all the best this genre has to offer. They continue to evolve and offer something new but they never leave their roots.
Usually on every release, there is a song that reaches into my mind and wakes up something I forgot I had. In Search of Truth is no different as Different Worlds is an amazing mental adventure that weaves between dark and light within my imagination. The lyrics are deep and meaningful and the poetry set around it musically is simply amazing and paints a complete picture that I’m sure is different for us all.
The next 17 years after the initial release has proven to be a boon for progressive rock fans as Evergrey has quietly become the standard for this style of music. They put their emotions into their music in every sense of the word and pulls you in through every song. If you’ve not taken the time to become an Evergrey fan, do it. Do it today and in no time at all you’ll be looking forward to some brand new Evergrey in 2019. I can hold off on that and review the album then. Until that time, video below.
To see this band live, you pretty much have 2 choices. Go to Sweden (personally I love that option) or wait til the Fall of 2019 and catch them at ProgPower USA in Atlanta. Day 3 and 4 are sold out but Evergrey is playing Day 2 and you can still get tickets for this show. At $180 it won’t be cheap, but that’s a lot cheaper than a flight to Sweden. In the end, any investment made to see these guys live is money well spent. Can someone get me a photopass for Atlanta? J
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