Evermore – In Memoriam Review

I've said it many times before, but sometimes my favorite albums end up coming completely out of nowhere, which has once again happened to me with Swedish power metal...

Released By: Scarlet Records

Release Date: April 21st, 2023

Genre: Power Metal

Links: https://www.facebook.com/EvermoreMetal

 

Line Up:

Johan Haraldsson – Vocals

Johan Karlsson – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Andreas Vikland – Guitars, Drums

 

Tracklist:

1. Nova Aurora

2. Forevermore

3. Nightfire

4. I Am the Flame

5. Empire Within

6. Broken Free

7. In Memoriam

8. Parvus Rex

9. Queen of Woe

 

I’ve said it many times before, but sometimes my favorite albums end up coming completely out of nowhere, which has once again happened to me with Swedish power metal band Evermore and their sophomore release, In Memoriam. I had never heard of the band until a couple of weeks ago when I saw a review for their new album which immediately caught my attention. I immediately decided to check out their debut, Court of the Tyrant King, and then a couple of days later I was given the chance to review their new album myself. Sometimes, things do happen that quickly. Regardless, though, the debut already left me impressed and instantly wanting more, while In Memoriam is a pretty big step up in every possible way, as well as a strong contender for best power metal of the year, so far.

Evermore plays a very classic brand of power metal, clearly influenced by the likes of Edguy, Stratovarius, and Helloween, while adding in some of their ideas to keep things fresh. Court of the Tyrant King was a very melodic album, with lots of energy, strong instrumental work, catchy songwriting, and just a slight edge to the guitars at points, while In Memoriam kicks things up a few notches. It maintains the melodic, classic power metal sound of the debut, though it’s a much heavier album at times, with hints of thrash on a couple of tracks, along with a rather raw production which may be a bit surprising for a modern power metal album, it works well in giving the album more of an aggressive sound than one may expect. Songwriting is nicely varied, with plenty of the speedy, high-energy material fans of the debut would expect, as well as some more mid-paced tracks, and this time around the band added in some symphonic elements, which combine with the keys to add an extra layer of atmosphere to the music. There are also choir vocals used on occasion, and they are quite impressive. The album has extensive instrumental portions, which are always excellent, but of course, it still has a big emphasis on the chorus and vocal melodies, and those are fantastic, with the choruses sounding quite different from each other, and yet they’re all amazing, especially the closing track “Queen of Woe”, which may have just become my song of the year almost overnight.

Performances are stronger than before, with each musician stepping up their game to a new level, especially the duo guitarists who deliver plenty of killer riffs, excellent melodic riffs, and some very technical solos at times, while the drums have moments where they’re subdued and keep things in check, as well as plenty of passages where they explode, with even some blast beats used on occasion. Production is a bit rough, as mentioned above, but it works quite well, and once I got used to it, I quite liked it. One big area of improvement over the debut is vocalist Johan Haraldsson, who I found to be solid on the debut, if a bit irritating at times, where this time around his vocals are as powerful and as animated as before, but his delivery is a lot smoother, and he does a good job of using his range, with both the lower and higher end of register sounding much stronger than on the debut. I’d say his voice reminds me most of Victorius vocalist David Bassin, except with more range and a lot more intensity, as he can get quite wild and intense at times, while still easily nailing the huge choruses. Compared to other power metal bands, Evermore isn’t necessarily as reliant on vocals, due to how strong the instrumental work is, but Haraldsson does an excellent job throughout, and his improvement is one of the reasons why I enjoy this album quite a bit more than the debut.

Another big improvement is the songwriting, which was already excellent on Court of the Tyrant King, but on In Memoriam, it feels like the band has taken things to a whole new level and written some of the best power metal tunes I’ve heard in the past few years. Following a brief intro track, with hints of orchestral and choral elements, the opening track “Forevermore” proves to be one of the best on the album. The track opens up with a mix of heavy guitar work and atmospheric keys, and it doesn’t take long for the drums to kick in as the song immediately goes full speed ahead, with heavy riffs and powerful vocals. The chorus is quite intense, heavy, fast, and yet still very melodic, with fantastic vocal melodies and strong, uplifting lyrics. The debut was fantasy themed, whereas this album’s lyrics are more personal and heartfelt, and that shows immediately on the opening track. The solo section is also excellent and introduces a bit of thrash sound into the mix, which is quite awesome. Overall, it’s a fantastic track and one of the best album openers I’ve heard in quite some time.

Next is “Nightfire”, a slightly more subdued track, moving at more of a middling pace, though it still brings some intensity during the verses with some chunky riffs, and powerful vocals. The chorus is big, catchy, and very melodic, and Haraldsson delivers some very strong vocals there, while the solo section is nice and allows time for the keyboards to shine, without getting in the way of the guitars, of course. The intensity picks up again with “I Am the Flame”, one of the most classic-sounding tracks on the album, with a lead riff that feels halfway in between Helloween or Stratovarius at their best, and the drums go at a blistering pace throughout, as Haraldsson goes all out with some of his highest, most animated vocals during the verses. The chorus manages to be equal parts frantic, epic, catchy, and very melodic and is another instant winner, as well as one of my personal favorites on the album. It’s also one of the tracks where the backing vocals and choirs are most noticeable, and they sound fantastic.

The tempo drops off quite a bit on “Empire Within”, but the quality does not. It’s one of the more symphonic tracks on the album, with the use of church organs during the intro, and while there are of course some nice melodic leads and bursts of heavy riffs from the guitars, the keys are more prominent here on than most tracks, taking the lead during lengthy portions, most notably during the chorus, which is on the softer, more subdued side as far as this album goes, while still being excellent and having some great vocals. Another personal favorite comes next, in the form of “Broken Free”, which alternates between slower, more measured verses, with bits of heaviness mixed in with softer sections, as well as a super intense chorus with an epic buildup, leading into a rare case where I enjoy hearing a track name repeated, as it’s done very effectively, and enhanced by some fantastic vocals. The track also has one of the most technically impressive, frantic, and just plain awesome solo sections on the album. Seriously, the guitarists go hard on this one!

Following one of the most intense tracks, it’s no surprise that the title track is a slower, more atmospheric track, with a nice mix of heavy guitars, atmospheric keys, and probably the strongest use of symphonic elements and choral vocals on the whole album. Verses are very soft and keyboard driven, while the chorus is a bit heavier, but still fairly calm by Evermore standards, instead going for a very epic, cinematic feel, while delivering some very emotional vocals and lyrics, seemingly dealing with the loss of a loved one. The thrashiest track on the album is “Parvus Rex”, which hits hard with some very aggressive thrash riffs right out of the gate, and it never lets up, moving at a fast and furious pace the whole way through, delivering hard-hitting riffs the verses and instrumental section, while opening up for a melodic and catchy chorus, without ever losing any of the intensity. It’s another personal favorite, so much so that I wasn’t sure it could be topped by the following track.

Well, I was wrong to doubt the band, because “Queen of Woe ” is far and away the highlight of the album. As amazing as everything leading up to it is, this track in particular floors me every time I hear it, with everything from the beautiful instrumental intro to the intensity of the guitars and drums during the verses, the huge, epic symphonic influenced chorus, fantastic instrumental section, and the beautiful closing section with female vocals, all leaving me blown away. While the entire track is fantastic, and the instrumental work is probably the best on the entire album, that chorus is by far my favorite part. It has everything, with the guitars going especially hard, the drums going full blast, the keys used effectively, and the vocal melodies being glorious and spectacular, with Haraldsson delivering easily his strongest performance I’ve heard from him. It’s a stunning track overall, and I’ll be hard-pressed to find a power metal song I enjoy more than it all year, I think.

In just over two weeks, Evermore has gone from a band I hadn’t even heard of, to one of my favorite up-and-coming power metal bands in the world. They left me impressed with Court of the Tyrant King, but they’ve stepped up their game to a whole new level on In Memoriam, delivering the exact kind of classic power metal masterpiece I’m always craving, with a perfect balance between heaviness, catchiness, and melody, and it’s an album where the vocals, instrumental work, and songwriting all rise to the occasion to deliver nothing short of perfection from start to finish. Fans of the band’s debut are sure to love this, while anyone looking for classic, melodic power metal with a heavy edge to it can’t afford to miss out on this one, as it’s sure to be one the best albums of the year!

 

Ratings: 10/10

Written by: Travis Green

My Global Mind – Staff Writer

Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.

 

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