Evergrey's 'Theories of Emptiness' - Album Review

Given that just over a decade ago it looked as if the Swedish progressive metal band Evergrey might be about to implode, the run which they have been on since their soft relaunch in 2014 with Hymns for the Broken (which I reviewed here) has been nothing short of remarkable. The band were certainly prolific and successful prior to 2014, releasing eight albums between 1998 and 2011 - but in more recent times I have felt that they have put out some of their best work yet and they have done so with both a solidified line-up and a busy touring schedule. The band released a lot of memorable material during their early days, but I think that most fans would point to the three-album run between 2006's Monday Morning Apocalypse and 2011's Glorious Collision as somewhat of a weaker era. These three albums contain some strong songs, too, but it also saw what had become seen as the band's classic line-up slowly fragment - with founding frontman Tom Englund and long-time keyboardist Rikard Zander the only classic-era members left by the time Glorious Collision came around. With two of the then-newer members leaving the band once Glorious Collision's touring cycle came to a close it looked as if Evergrey might be on the ropes - and Englund has admitted in interviews since that the band almost called it a day. With the return of classic era guitarist Henrik Danhage and drummer Jonas Ekdahl in 2014, though, Evergrey kicked off this latest era with four-fifths of that classic line-up - with bassist Johan Niemann sticking around from the Glorious Collision era. This, then, has how Evergrey has essentially operated ever since and Hymns for the Broken has now been followed up by five further albums - the most recent of which, Theories of Emptiness, the subject of this piece, was released last month. It follows just over two years on from the dark and organic A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) (which I reviewed here) - which itself came just over a year after Escape of the Phoenix (which I also reviewed here). Evergrey had a productive pandemic, then, using the time off the road to create two excellent albums which somewhat harked back to the band's older work after a trilogy of much more modern and heavier releases. Hymns for the Broken and the two albums which followed it certainly felt stylistically similar - mixing modern, djent-inspired riffing with the band's trademark gothic and atmospheric approach. The last two albums sounded more old-school in comparison - and Theories of Emptiness sounds a bit different again. The artwork is certainly less grand than Evergrey's recent approach and the sound of the band feels a bit more stripped back - with a heavier sound again and a short (for the band) 45 minute runtime. It also marks the end of the band's current era, as it is to be their last album with Ekdahl - who has since left to focus on production and studio work. Given that he has co-produced this album, and others, perhaps he will still work with the band in such a capacity in the future - but replacing him on drums going forward is Simen Sandnes (Shining; Temic).

This album's more direct vibe is apparent from the start. There is no slow build here, with Falling from the Sun immediately kicking off with a big riff - and this heaviness and pretty aggressive nature is typical of the album. This is very much a guitar-heavy album, more so than ever. I noted that the previous album featured Zander's keyboards in a much more prominent role - but here they generally take on a more supporting role. This leads to a dryer production overall, but the songs work well in such a setting - with the verses of Falling from the Sun mixing chugging guitar rhythms and the occasional knotty, prog metal guitar lead. The riffing and lead playing is a bit busier than is sometimes the case with Evergrey, then, but everything still defers to Englund's excellent voice at all times. He is high in the mix throughout, his emotional delivery soaring above the verses despite the occasional guitar flourish. The chorus is more dense, with a melodic piano backing and much more atmosphere thanks to some subtle vocal harmonies, but generally the track is a hard-driving rocker with plenty of double bass drumming and a mechanical groove which is extremely infectious. The chorus vocal hooks only add to the song's overall appeal - with a lengthy guitar solo section, which is started by Englund and finished by Danhage, also impressing. Following the driving nature of the opening cut, Misfortune slows the pace down somewhat and goes for a much more typical arrangement - utilising keyboards and a gothic atmosphere in a more prominent way. The opening riff has a doomy feel, whilst Zander's keyboards produce a dense backing, and Niemann's bass also takes the lead during the verses - which feel quite sparse to allow Englund's vocals to shine. Despite this slower pace and a more oppressive arrangement, Evergrey's knack for uplifting and memorable melodies is present. The chorus is one of the album's most heroic moments, with subtle gang vocal shouts and wordless vocal melodies filling the speakers. It is a chorus which sticks in the brain from the first listen - and the hooky, yet dark, song is one of the album's overall highlights and a great representation of the band's core sound. To Become Someone Else is a bit more involved arrangement-wise. Delicate clean guitar melodies open the piece up, over which Englund starts to sing in the mournful manner which only he can truly deliver. The song gets heavier as it moves along, but not before some retro-sounding Hammond organ from Zander is added to the fray. This adds further depth, but a heavy, slab-like riff soon takes over and the track morphs into something different. The riffing here is some of the album's heaviest, which contrasts nicely with the slow opening, and the song generally proceeds in such a manner - with Englund's roars cutting through the dry dual guitar riffing. Cold piano melodies add depth where required and there is also a low key symphonic mid-section with strings and keyboards taking centre stage - before another grinding riff takes over to lead the final vocal-led section.

Say is another track, like Misfortune, which exhibits the band's core sound in quite a big way. Zander's keyboards are generally much more prominent here, then, with the opening guitar riff and Hammond backing actually sounding quite Deep Purple-esque. There is more of a classic rock strut than is typical during parts of the song, then, but generally this is Evergrey through and through - with the occasional hint to some of their heavier countrymen via some harmony guitar leads and melodies. Despite the song's mid-paced grooves and the overall mournful edge added by Englund's voice and the darker keyboard tones, the piece is surprisingly uplifting. Evergrey have always managed to include this feeling into their writing despite what is an overly melancholic core sound - and the chorus here is a bit of a light in the dark thanks again to some subtle vocal harmonies and some easy-on-the-ear hooks. The solo section, again featuring both guitarists, is full of melodic twists, too, even if the riffy section which follows ups the heaviness briefly. Following the mix of up-tempo and mid-paced tracks which have categorised the album up to this point, Ghost of My Hero slows the pace down quite considerably and acts as the album's only true ballad. There is a strong doom vibe throughout the song, with the opening riff, which later forms the basis of the chorus, being slow and weighty, conjuring up visions of Evergrey ballads past, whilst the verses are essentially just Englund singing against Zander's piano - with a metronomic percussion loop providing a beat. The chorus is heavier, then, but the riffing is so slow that it only really consists of a number of sustained and heavy chords - whilst the piano melodies are retained alongside a pretty soaring string arrangement. This use of strings increases as the song moves along, too, with later sections feeling much grander overall - and the second half of the track feels much more symphonic overall. It lacks a big guitar solo, though, and I never really feel that big ballads like this are complete without one. An emotional guitar solo would have really made this track a standout for me - but as things stands it falls a little short despite still being a good effort. We Are the North returns to a heavier and more anthemic sound, with the hard-driving and groovy song likely one of the catchiest things here. The opening juddering riff harks back to the djent-inspired moments of the band's recent past, but the song does not feel as tech metal-inspired as that era overall - with more of an organic feel thanks to some ringing piano notes and cold synths. As was the case with Misfortune, this is another track which makes use of gang vocals - with shouted reprises of the song's title and other short phrases acting as constant hooks throughout, whilst the chorus itself is much more aching and conventionally melodic with Englund singing in a slightly sweeter way than is typical for him. Given the song's overall heaviness, too, another multi-part solo section later provides some shredded leads - which perfectly compliment the riffing and fist-pumping vibe found elsewhere.

The Night Within sounds like something of a hark back to the more organic moments on the band's last couple of albums - particularly the more conventionally prog metal moments of Escape of the Phoenix. There is a much bigger use of bouncier and more melodic keyboards here, with an opening synth hook setting the scene earlier on against a slightly off-kilter drum groove from Ekdahl. Despite this floatier feel early on, the song is still very much rooted in the heavier core sound of the rest of the album. The guitar tones are similar to everything else here, which ups the heaviness compared to the band's 2021 album, whilst there is also quite a bit more double bass drumming here than is often the case for Evergrey. Danhage's melodic, yet frantic, guitar solo is later backed by some fast double bass drumming - but this is a nice contrast to the slightly poppier chorus which makes use of the opening synth hook to create a warm backing to Englund's smooth vocal delivery. Some industrial synths help to segue into Cold Dreams - another overall highlight for me thanks to the guest vocals of Jonas Renkse (Katatonia; October Tide; Bloodbath; Wisdom of Crowds). Renkse is another singer known for his deep, melancholic delivery - but here he actually adds harsh vocals to the song, which is nothing something I can really recall Evergrey doing before. Renkse does not tend to use harsh vocals that often these days, so it is somewhat of a surprise to hear him delivering them here - but his deep death/doom growls from the early days of Katatonia work well here. He is sparsely used, but when his growls do kick in the track feels all the better for his presence - whilst Englund's daughter Salina adds some wordless ethereal vocals throughout, often teaming up nicely with Zander's keyboards. The track is a dense and doomy piece, then, but there is also a strong prog feel thanks to the varying arrangement and the different vocal styles - with Danhage's lengthy guitar solo later on also capturing some of the song's variety in its phrasing. The last of the album's traditional songs here is the mid-paced and piano-driven Our Way Through Silence. This is another track which mixes heavier sections and more melancholic passages nicely - with a heavy opening riff, albeit punctured by the piano, setting the tone, before the piano takes over in a big way for the verses. Zander has still made his presence felt here despite this album feeling more guitar-heavy, but this track sees him really taking centre stage - with the verses essentially being all him, and the chorus is also underpinned by his talents. This track is perhaps not as hooky vocally, despite a decent chorus, with the song instead feeling somewhat more cinematic thanks to the stronger keyboard presence. The last guitar solo team-up is filled with melodic playing, though, and the song overall is another strong cut - with the piano dominance helping it to stand out. The album then comes to a close with A Theory of Emptiness, a short, essentially spoken word piece set against some distant piano melodies and some atmospheric guitar swells. It sounds like something from one of Anathema's more recent albums, and it feels like it is building towards something which never quite arrives. It is a strange way to end the album in my opinion, but there is a haunting quality to it which is fitting in some respects - and it leaves an unsettling taste as the album fades to a close. Evergrey never really disappoint and Theories of Emptiness is no different. Their recent run has been stellar and the quality of the songwriting here continues that trend - with the upped heaviness and slight brevity welcome. There seems to be no stopping this band and as long as they keep on delivering the goods I will remain interested - as there is no-one else quite like them.

The album was released on 7th June 2024 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Falling from the Sun.