A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

I'll admit it: I love Evergrey. They're not even a guilty pleasure. Their unabashed excitement for their music is infectious, and they have a creative intensity and style all their own. But... the chink in their gothic Swedish plate mail has been found: they aren't so good live.

That's not to say they're bad-- in fact, A Night to Remember explodes with fine musicianship and intensity. The problem is that, with very few exceptions, we're hearing things exactly as they are on their studio albums. With live albums (especially metal albums) I expect some measure of spontaneity, improvisation, or at least rawness which I can't get on a studio recording-- not the case here (see my review of Iron Maiden Rock in Rio). The group is tight, focused, and predictable.

The only thing one will hear here that's new is a live choir (very nice), and useless banter from Englund (4.5 minutes in the middle of Masterplan seems excessive to me). His casual swearing and shouts to the crowd seem to bounce right off them. Moreover, his thank you very much's often come BEFORE a song ends (or applause begins for that matter). Maybe it's a cultural thing :P

I know I am quibbling, but I wanted something more than a best of compilation of Evergrey's music, which is essentially what A Night to Remember is-- a collection of excellent songs lifted with few noticeable differences from existing recordings.

Setlist 3 Instrumental Performances 3 Stage Energy 3 Live Experience 2