Evergrey - The Inner Circle

2003 was a big year for Evergrey. Before that, few had heard them, and even fewer realized that this Swedish quintet was one of the finest progressive metal bands on the planet. But Recreation Day and a few U.S. tours changed all that. At that point, I would have expected the band to poise, rest up, and carefully consider their next move. Instead, they quickly got back in the studio to record another ambitious concept album.

Vocalist/guitarist Tom S. Englund founded the band in the late 1990s. The first full-length was The Dark Discovery in 1998. Next came 1999’s Solitude Dominance Tragedy, and by this time the band’s star was rising. The concept album In Search of Truth confirmed Evergrey’s excellence, although it was hard to believe a story about alien abduction could possibly be so personal. That album was produced by King Diamond guitarist Andy Larocque. Studio legend Neil Kernon (Nevermore, Spiral Architect, Rage for Order) was set to produce the next Evergrey album, but the arrangement fell through at the last minute. Englund was left to handle the production chores on Recreation Day with guitarist Henrik Danhage, and the two men did an admirable job. In fact, to my ears, it was one of the best albums of the year. They handle these duties again on The Inner Circle, which was recorded at Division One Studios in Sweden.

The album’s lyrics are as important as the music in conveying emotion. The concept concerns the power of religious proselytization in the 21st century. Englund described it as follows:

On the last album, we did “Unforgivable” and that thought stayed with me, about people abusing children, then hiding behind their religion, or whatever, to get away from the law. It's despicable ... We actually thought about doing this concept for the last record, but there was too little time to really get into the subject. We don't want to accuse someone without knowing what we're talking about. This isn't about bashing Christianity, it's about bashing fanatics, people who try to convince others to their way of thinking. Society today wants someone to tell them how/what to think.

The first track on the album, “A Touch Of Blessing,” erupts with the typical Everygrey power. Humongous guitar riffs, tremendous melodic keyboard work by Rikard Zander, and the voice of Englund, who sings with more passion than 99% of vocalists in metal today. “All the dreams I had/All my future wishes/Put aside for a greater journey/ And all the things I planned/Left my friends so coldly/Put aside for a higher purpose.” The next track begins with a voiceover saying “Obey my voice and I will be your God.” Here Englund experiments with various vocal effects and arrangements, much like he did on Recreation Day. “I am like you/Castaway shadows,” he tells his fellow followers, “God walking earth/Ambassador.” Listen to the groove in this chorus—Englund has as much soul as Al Green. On “In The Wake Of The Weary,” his wife Carina joins him on the mike—and she’s every bit as good as he is! Listen to her beautiful solo at the 1:35 mark—her husband is making her sing like he does, and she f***ing nails it. It is here that Evergrey use their first sample of evangelical preaching. It is a bit frightening, and through the music, Englund reveals them for the deluded maniacs that they are. The sweeping synth piece by Zander at the 3:25 mark brings all the passion down for a minute and is prog metal/rock at its absolute best. “Harmless Wishes” features at least two heavy, superb riffs. They do this better than any band in progressive metal—on Train Of Thought you could hear a conscious decision was being made to up the ante—with Englund, the heavy stuff is innate. “Waking Up Blind” is a beautiful power ballad and a great change of pace. This is the emotional turning point—the moment where the protagonist realizes he’s been duped. “More Than Ever” is Inner Circle's heaviest cut—I love the harmonic sweeps here in the midst of a riff that could bring down Rome. The guitar leads at the end of this track are exquisite—Opeth-like musicianship. “The Essence Of Conviction” demonstrates that new drummer Jonas Ekdahl was a great choice. His double bass chops here are impeccable as he churns up choppy, precise sixteenth-note triplets. Lyrically, this song deals with the birth of a child (the next Messiah?). “YOU LIED TO MEEEEE…” intones Englund in powerful tones and I really wish I fully understood this story. The kid is heard crying at the end and I still have no idea who he belongs to. Great, sexy, heavy groove to kick off “Where All Good Sleep.” This is superb stuff. “Would you give me the power?” Englund asks, and at the ends his cries of “Could you? Would you?” sound like those of a wounded animal. “Faith Restored” is an incredible ballad with gorgeous acoustic guitar playing. And god, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra string quartet! Englund is improving as a conductor. There are voiceovers of sermons here and on the last track, “When The Walls Go Down,” that are genuinely haunting. Englund lets his antagonists tell the story themselves, and we are stunned to see that even they are human. Is it not just their subjects that are losing their souls—they are coming undone because perhaps they, too, actually believed. Listen to Zander’s great, sweeping synth playing as Ekdahl smashes his toms. Then, at the 4:20 mark, it explodes with an incredible, furious section of technical metal. When it all ends in the midst of this absolute chaos, I can’t help but think of The Beatles “A Day In The Life.”

I’ve seen quite a few Evergrey fans criticize this album with quotes like “third-rate,” “no new ideas,” etc. That is idiocy. There is no doubt that The Inner Circle is the least accessible album of Evergrey’s career. It has a message to tell and it utilizes a number of different mediums to do so—it is far less song-focused than was Recreation Day.

But it is also a record full of raw emotion, subtle wonders, and absolutely incredible musicianship. Those who truly are fans of progressive music (yes, I’m challenging you) should grasp this, though it might take a number of listens to fully appreciate.