Evergrey frontman Tom Englund will be a guest on this coming Monday’s episode of “How Songs Are Made”, livestreaming on the Gear Gods YouTube channel at 11:00 am PST / 2:00pm EST / 8:00pm CET. Trey and Tom will discuss how Evergrey wrote their new album, how the songs are written in general, and more. Make sure to tune in on May 23rd.
Celebrating over 25 years of metal mastery, chart-topping icons Evergrey have unveiled their eagerly longed for, thirteenth full-length, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament), today. To commemorate this massive next milestone in the band's history, Gothenburg’s dark metal masters have just released their emotive, mystical new single, “Call Out the Dark” - a heartfelt sonic experience that wanders the realms of prog and melodic metal to combine the best of both worlds into one.
“Call Out the Dark” begins atmospherically with accented keys and suddenly evolves into an intense opus of symphonic and power metal attributes in the blink of an eye. The track goes in line with an enchanting visualizer, underlining the spirit of the band the best way. This one is not to be missed in this breathtaking bunch of new hits!
Evergrey state: “We are so just so damn proud of this record, guys, and we are just as excited that you will finally get to hear it! We will let the music do the talking and leave you to it, but we can't wait to hear what you feel and think! Enjoy!" - Tom, Jonas, Rikard, Johan, Rikard
The new album was recorded at Top Floor Studios Gothenburg, engineered by Jakob Herrman and produced by Tom S. Englund and Jonas Ekdahl, with mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios (Volbeat, Destruction, Epica and many more), whereas the hauntingly beautiful album artwork was conjured by Giannis Nakos at Remedy Art Design. Nakos is known for creating artworks for acts like Oceans Of Slumber, Amaranthe, The Agonist and The Crown as well as merchandise for Morbid Angel, Suffocation or Cryptopsy – just to name a few.
Evergrey on the new album: “Here it is. A new album. Yet again. This is what we love about music, it never ends. Our mission is to write music so here you are. 10 new songs. 10 new Evergrey songs that we hope you will have by your side as your life continues to shift and grow. 10 songs that we wish will be part of the soundtrack when you're creating new memories and new possibilities in your life. 10 songs that we feel privileged to have you listen to. 10 songs that have risen through the ashes of two years where our creativity has had more time than ever to flourish. 10 songs we really hope you will enjoy as much as we did writing them. As usual we have given it our best and we can't wait to hear what you have to say. A new year, a new album, a new record label = new possibilities. All this can only be positive, right? Enjoy.”
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) impresses with flawless, meticulous production that deftly depicts both heartfelt honesty and scorching metallic intensity, while its instrumental force of furious, technically driven riffs, skyrocketing solos and dramatic synths merges with the expert, brooding vocal performance of Englund – one of the most distinctive vocalists in metal. He skillfully balances harsh and heavy tones with an inarguably soulful approach, all topped by melancholic, thought-provoking lyricism that digs deeper with every spin, leaving a long-lasting impact. Songs like “Midwinter Calls”, which also contains fan participation with atmospheric audience recordings from the band’s latest tour through Sweden, and “The Great Unwashed”, draw the listener in with grooving, glistering instrumentation, flowing between boisterous dynamics and a next level vocal performance, while emotive “Wildfires” turns the volume down as a goosebump-worthy ballad that hurts and heals all at once. “Call Out The Dark” begins atmospherically with accented keys, suddenly evolving into an intense opus of symphonic and power metal attributes in the blink of an eye, whereas the record’s longest track, “The Orphean Testament”, impresses by revealing its heaviest facet. A sensitive introduction lures the listener into “Heartless”, and offers one of the album’s most engaging verses, followed by a hauntingly beautiful chorus and variety in pace to create a magnificent listening experience.
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) is a striking testament to the fact that while the Swedish five-piece doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone at this phase, they still impressively showcase that, after over 25 years of existence, their creativity sees no bounds – dropping yet another sensation within their impressive catalog.
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) is available in the following formats:
- Deluxe Box (incl. Canvas, Pendant, Liner Notes on Pergament Paper) – limited to 500 copies worldwide
- 2LP Gatefold “Die Hard” Marbled Red/Black (incl. Slipmat + 7inch (black) w/ 2 exclusive Bonus Tracks) – limited to 500 copies worldwide
- 2LP Gatefold Glow in the Dark – limited to 500 copies worldwide
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- 2LP Gatefold Gold – Band exclusive, limited to 300 copies worldwide
- CD Digisleeve
- Digital Album
Order here.
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) tracklisting:
"Save Us"
"Midwinter Calls"
"Ominous"
"Call Out The Dark"
"The Orphean Testament"
"Reawakening"
"The Great Unwashed"
"Heartless"
"Blindfolded"
"Wildfires"
“Blindfolded” video:
“Midwinter Calls” video:
"Save Us" video:
Lineup:
Tom S. Englund - Vocals, Guitar
Henrik Danhage - Guitar
Rikard Zander - Keyboard
Jonas Ekdahl - Drums
Johan Niemann - Bass
