MONDAY MORNING APOCALYPSE

Geez, what a load of crap! This may be the worst metal album I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard some pretty weak ones. I don’t know much of anything about Evergrey, but after reading some great reviews of their previous albums I expected something complex, varied and, well – progressive. Missed on all counts by a country mile…

I’ve heard all these guitar riffs before, starting around 1978 with Def Leppard and continuing along the lines of Ratt and Poison (two bands who should have been required by law to tour together), and ending somewhere around the time I grew tired of the same three of four power chords screaming around to the beat of a speed-freak drummer. Talk about a disappointment.

And to make things worse, these aren’t even complete songs for the most part. Nearly all of them are three or four minute long mini-orgies of ponderous vocals, insipid lyrics and sheer boredom. Ronnie James Dio would turn over in his grave (if he were dead).

I played this thing three or four times trying to find something good to say about it, but really there’s just no use. The biggest challenge I had was fighting to stay awake and not shove pencils in my ears to make the noise go away. I actually wish I could think of something objective to say since there’s a good chance this review will be deleted by an administrator for being overly critical, but on the remote possibility that someone else who hasn’t heard the band might pick this up I feel an obligation to warn them away, so I’ll take the chance.

Nothing worth listening to here – go find a nice Rainbow album if you want to hear power chords put to good use. This isn’t the sort of thing you want to cut your progressive metal teeth on. Two stars only because the band must have fans, and some of them have undoubtedly collected this one. Not worth checking out by anyone else. Sorry to be so blunt but some things don’t deserve sugar-coating.

peace