Sound-wise, the album is very much typical of the band's core approach - but it pulls back on some of the overt heaviness of the last album, instead returning to the warmer sound of the two albums before it. In truth, there is a bit of every Evergrey era here - but the melodies are very strong. Englund is as good as ever vocally, but it is perhaps Zander's playing that stands out the most. Perhaps the lack of two guitarists during the creative process allowed his playing to feature more - and keyboard melodies feel much more prevalent this time. Opening with a spoken word piece, Welcome to the Pattern is a short, dark number with dramatic narration and dense strings. I do not recall the band doing something like this before - but it works well, and it segues nicely into The Shadow Self. A grinding, heavy riff kicks off The Shadow Self, reminiscent of the groovier approach of the aforementioned trilogy of the previous era - but dense keyboard textures add depth. There is a great mix of big guitar riffing and keyboard tones throughout this album, and The Shadow Self is a good example of such. The heaviness of the verses come from the guitars, whilst Englund sings with a real urgency and Sandnes immediately showcases his talent with a shuffling double bass drum groove, but there is a dynamic approach taken - with slower, piano-led pre-choruses and a soaring chorus that pushes the keyboards to the fore, both shimmering atmosphere and piano hooks. Subtle harmony vocals really make the latter half of the chorus pop melody-wise - and it feels pretty anthemic overall, whilst retaining the band's core darkness. Englund and Niemann later trade guitar solos, too, and the song feels like a perfect album opener - and a song that is likely to become a live favourite. The title track follows, opening with a strident mid-paced guitar pattern, underpinned by a warm synth melody and hard-hitting, groovy drum pattern. Some of the heaviness of the opening track is reined in here, with a much more atmospheric approach taken throughout - despite tough guitar rhythms and some double bass drumming. Snappy riffs act as links between song sections, but Zander's keyboards perhaps dominate during the verses - despite a pulsing rhythm and Englund's emotive vocals. The later chorus also feels quite anthemic, with Englund backed by some subtle gang vocals and a hypnotic synth melody to create something of a shout-along moment. Evergrey never really go for a full-on anthemic approach, but both choruses so far have felt full-bodied and hooky - and it is clear that this album is prioritising hooks. The chorus just continues to repeat as the song fades out - and this melody is one that really sticks in the brain long after the album has come to a close. The World Is on Fire returns more to the groovy vibe of the The Shadow Self, with a juddering main riff that recalls those occasional Gojira influences that have infiltrated the band's sound of late - whilst the verses here feel somewhat off-kilter, with progressive grooves, stop-start riffing, and vocal melodies that do not always follow traditional patterns. Following two somewhat more anthemic pieces, this song feels a little different and takes a few listens to fully appreciate. The riffing really grabs hold, though, given its undulating patterns, but the vocal melodies take time to bed in - even if the chorus takes a smoother approach thanks to some prominent synth atmospherics. The chorus feels like a bit of a contrast to everything else, but the combination works well - and is typical of Evergrey's approach of late.
Heaven picks up the pace, bursting out of the gate with a fast-paced, tougher power metal riff that is backed by some old-school stop-start double bass drumming from Sandnes. There is little of the band's modern, groovier approach here - with the song instead harking back to the band's older work somewhat. The arrangement is a bit more straight forward, then, going for that darker, gothic-tinged power metal sound that made Evergrey famous in the first place - whilst injecting a sense of pace and urgency. Englund sounds a little grittier here vocally, especially during the verses, whilst the riffing throughout is fast-paced and kinetic. Even the chorus, which does slow down somewhat compared to the verses, still feels pretty energetic - with something of a pace retained early on, even if the latter half of the chorus is more anthemic and mid-paced thanks to some more shout-along melodies. Guitar-wise, things are a bit more overtly melodic, too, with some twin guitar leads at times, a flashy melody sitting beneath the chorus, as well as another excellent solo trade-off between Englund and Niemann. The Script feels like it is going to be another pretty heavy track, given that it opens with a barrelling, juddering heavy guitar riff - but the song overall is much more dynamic overall. There are strong ballad-esque strains during the slow-moving and emotive song, but it never feels like a true ballad due to some heavier moments - even if Zander's piano does a lot of heavy lifting and Niemann's bass cuts through the mix quite a lot. There is a dense and emotive tone throughout the while piece. Englund, perhaps given the relative lack of heaviness, really dominates vocally - his trademark, deeper vocal delivery sounding as powerful as ever. Zander also does a lot of good work here, with piano melodies and hypnotic synth leads largely providing the main hooks - with occasional heavy guitar riffing to provide overall accents. A big guitar solo would have been welcome, but this is not really a song for the guitarists. Leaving the Emptiness ups the pace, and it is one of those somewhat rare songs that Evergrey write that feels surprisingly upbeat. The band are known for their emotive and quite downbeat vibe, but occasionally they put something together with a bit of a bounce to it - and this song is one such example. The main guitar and synth riffs early on are pretty energetic, whilst the cinematic expanse of the verses, thanks to some snappy drumming, keeps the energy levels high. Niemann's bass playing drives the verses nicely, whilst the keyboards shimmer away in the background, but the intro melodies later form the basis of a hooky and power metal-tinged chorus - with lots of strong Englund vocal hooks. Both Niemann and Englund later solo, too, with Zander also joining in - doubling up some of their melodies to really boost that power metal vibe. Longing returns to a much more dense sound following the relative bombast of the previous song - with subtle drum programming and synths the only backing for Englund's vocals early on. Following The Script giving ballad vibes, Longing is a true ballad - with little heaviness, even as the song progresses. Spacey synth melodies and rumbling bass playing dominates the song - whilst subtle guitar melodies and proper drumming do join in later on, with the overall arrangement and percussive nature of the piece reminding me somewhat of U2 of all bands. Some later chorus renditions do feel a little heavier, and there is a riffy bridge section later on - but Englund's guitar solo soars, keeping the song's emotive nature locked in.
A Burning Flame ups the pace again, and is another song that feels a little more upbeat than is often the case for Evergrey - at least early on. The main riff, again backed by synth leads, is pretty infectious - although the verses that follow are a bit more stripped back with a big bass presence and a lack of real heaviness. Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity; Grand Cadaver; The Halo Effect; Cemetery Skyline) is featured on the song, but in truth I am not 100% sure what he does here. I think he adds some harmonies to the chorus and perhaps sings part of the second verse - but his contributions do not really stand out, which is a shame as he is a dynamic vocalist. Perhaps utilising his harsh vocals a little might have helped him stand out more - but this is a more overtly melodic song so that may not have worked. Despite this, there are hooks during the chorus - and a lengthy Englund shredded solo adds a lot to the song overall. Call Off Your Lions is more typical of the core Evergrey sound, although it perhaps lacks some of the core heaviness - instead going for a slower-burning gothic sound, with tougher riffing a little more in the background and big keyboard textures. The verses do grind along in a groovy manner, but the guitar riffing is a little more muted than it sometimes is - whilst the chorus, packed with emotion, feels like something of a lighters in the air moment despite the song not feeling like a ballad. There is a tough yet emotive feel here that is very much representative of that core sound Evergrey have channelled since the beginning - and the song sticks in the brain thanks to this vibe and some easy on the ear melodies. Zander gets a chance to solo here, too, his warm, retro synths giving a strong prog vibe to the piece. Chains of Shame picks the pace back up again, with another groovy riff kicking things off - which is very reminiscent of the band's last era. The riffing is quite fast-moving, though, so there is a strong energy here despite a groovy approach. The verses do slow the pace a little, with snaking bass playing and guitars crashing in and out continuing the groove - but the chorus feels energetic thanks to big keyboard stabs and an urgent Englund vocal. Clean guitar melodies later do something a bit different, creating a warm bridge section alongside a plodding rhythm and shimmering synths, before the core heaviness returns and the song speeds away to a tight finish. The album then comes to a close with the big-sounding The Prophecy. Opening with a rendition of the song's chorus, the slow-moving, yet fairly epic, piece is another with ballad-esque vibes without ever truly feeling like such. That being said, some of the album's most stripped back moments appear here, with Englund at times singing just against Zander's piano, but there is enough toughness here thanks to some doomy riffs and a dense arrangement to ensure that the song feels big and cinematic. Strings and other keyboard textures are often used elsewhere to aid this big sound - whilst crushing riffing adds to the doomy feeling, particularly during later chorus renditions. Melody-wise, the song is not one of the hookiest on the album - but it does go for a huge scope that reminds me of album closers past. It is a song that definitely takes a few listens to fully appreciate, and I do feel that it is another piece that would have benefitted from a truly soaring guitar solo, but I do like the way that the sombre, doomy piece closes out the album with a mix of dense piano and tough guitar riffing - even if there are stronger songs elsewhere. Overall, then, Architects of a New Weave sees Evergrey continue to do what they do best - despite the long-standing previous era having now ended. The line-up changes have not impacted the overall quality of the material, and I like that this album channels a few different vibes from the band's past. It will be interesting to see what Platt brings going forward, but this transitional album is another strong effort - and one that will likely really work live.
The album was released on 5th June 2026 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Leaving the Emptiness.
