THE INNER CIRCLE

Evergrey had a lot to live up to after their last album, the wonderful Recreation Day. Tom S. Englund and Co. responded with their greatest work to date. The Inner Circle follows the story of a man who is lured into a cult and is soon disillusioned by the rituals and extremism of its members. Lyrically, this is a great concept album that is on par with the songwriting on The Human Equation and Operation Mindcrime. Musically, however, it isn't very strong.

The drums are predicatble and add nothing to the music. Jonas did very little that stood out from the band. The guitar rythms are impeccable, but the solos are a bit bland. Tom's vocals are the most important instrument on this album, as they move the story as much as the rythm guitars do. The orchestration, however, really redeems the lackluster performances with some of the best arrangements I've heard on a metal album.

Touch of Blessing, Harmless Wishes, Essence of Conviction, and the closing instrumental When the Walls Go Down are the highlights of the album. They all feature great vocals (except of course the instrumental) and the best musicianship on the disc. There are not any truly weak songs on the album, but the non-highlights all have weak moments.

This is Evergrey's best album lyrically, but it's straightforward sound can be a bit off- putting to proggies. The album is truly haunting and, as the liner notes say, you will not feel happy after you listen to it. The story is never uplifting; this is truly morose metal at its finest. If you are like me and enjoy the dark things in life, this album is perfect for you.

Grade: B