MONDAY MORNING APOCALYPSE

Love this album. It's different from the other Evergrey-album, but still it's a very good album with very strong melodies, choruses which i could killed my mama for and superb drums and guitars. Every song is just so direct, gone are all the intricate passages like they had before, but it's still Evergrey.

Let's hope Evergrey reach a greater audience with this album, they deserve it.

I have loved this band for years but this record steps it up and takes the band to an entirely different level. This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best bands in the world, bar none. They never fail to inspire, awe, and shock me with their songs.

The only thing bad that I can say about this record is that is simply is NOT long enough for me. The song structures are amazing, the vocals are precise and engaging, the band plays tighter than ever, and overall, this CD just took my breath away. I am now on listen number 250 and it has not lost one ounce of it's power.

This band gets bigger and stronger with every CD. Like the above review, I have to agree, let's hope that THIS is the CD that launches these guys to the level that they deserve.

This is a good album, a good metal album. Only good, nothing more, nothing less. But this is the worst Evergrey album since "The Dark Discovery" too. Evergrey has entered the dangerous territory of change their musical style for comercial purposes; the result: a NOT prog album. All of you that don't like metal must rest one star to my puntuation because this release only have a metal atraction based on strong riffs and cool chords.

The songs structure is poor, very poor, almost all the tracks are of 3 or 4 minutes without any progression and without a real presence of keyboards, except the great "Till Dagmar", a 1:40 piano piece very beautyfull.

People who like progressive face of Evegrey only have to listen "In the Search of Truth" and then compare it whith this "Monday Morning Apocalypse" (it seems that the title of the album is very comercial too) so they can realize of the big difference existing between this two albums and how progressive Evergrey was and how progressive is now.

Anyway, and although my review can seem negative, I like this album, but, like a I said, like a metal album. I give it 3 stars because there is nothing bad in this work, I like all the songs, they are very catchy and easy to hear with power and beauty melodies and great guitar solos, but the truth is that this a "use and throw" album. You like it for a while (one or two weeks) and then you just get tired of it because of the absence of any prog element that can made it interesting in a longer way.

Not bad album, but, obviousy, neither essential.

2.5 rounded down to a 2.

This album was quite a dissapointment for me after the amazing work of art that was "The Inner Circle".

Everything seems pretty bland and uninspired. The keys are stripped down and at some points barely even audible. The album as a whole is pretty straight-forward, and thats not bad if it's just a couple of songs, but it's pretty much the whole album.

The album still has a few worthy tracks though. The title track isn't bad, and "Obediance" and "I Should" are great tunes, the former being one of my favorite Evergrey newer tracks. The bonus track "Closure" is pretty cool too.

The other songs are not top shelf though. Especially, "Lost", which is my new least favorite Evergrey song.

To write about the latest album of the Swedes from Evergrey is not the easiest challenge. First of all because they have been, and are one of my favourite bands, and I like all their albums with no exception. So I was really happy that they finally released a new record, and then the day came when I finally could listen to the new album. The first shock was the sound of the album, which is "thinner" as compared to the forerunners. Then I had to realize that the songs are more direct and simple as one would expect from a band like Evergrey. But still songs like the opener "Monday Morning Apocalypse" or the instrumental "..till Dagmar" or the closing slow track "Closure" already got to me. I let the album rest a bit and gave it a try after a while, and I liked it more, but I stil had that bitter aftertaste in my mouth, it could have been so much more. And today.some time after the album has been released? I like the album, and listen to it a lot, but it is not my favourite Evegrey release.

After hearing great albums like In Search of Truth, Recreation Day, and The Inner Circle i had a pretty good feeling Monday Morning Apocalypse would be able to capture the same magic those albums brought..ehhhh well to be honest i was kinda wrong. I mean its not bad there are some great songs on here like the title track, Obedience, Till Dagmar, and Still in the Water but most of the songs to me feel like Evergrey is backing off a bit from the power house house that they are known for. Seems like they lost the progression and decided to go more for a straight forward sound which is okay but its not quite there with Evergrey. Plus this album isn't a concept album which kinda dissappointed as these guys make great conept albums but i can live with it. Plus i know they don't make long songs but these are just two short i feel like they should've branched out more in their music. But hey you can't wish for everything right. The players well its good and bad at the same time. Tom and Denrik well of course Tom does well with the vocals and harmonies as well with doing great work with the strings and choir as well as Denrik which i'll admit i liked the whole effects on the solos which was a nice touch on the album in fact this was one of the main things keeping to dislike the album. Rikard oh man i hate to say this he is a great player nice piano on Till Dagmar but honestly i felt this was one of his worst performances i just didn't get much out of him ya know i mean i hate saying that but that's how i feel i guess. And well Micheal didn't do much so i wan't expecting much out of him. Then you have Jonas i give him respect for being a great metal drummer but there were times where i loved the stuff he did but then there were times where i was like okay why can't he just do something better. so anyway this obviously is probably my least favorite Evergrey album i mean its not bad in some parts but at times i wish it was better. So if your a big fan like me get this album and give it a shot. But if you only want the best from them don't waste your money on this one.

Monday Morning Apocalypse

Evergrey's sixth studio album, released in 2006. I have the CD with the bonus tracks, Closure, or at least, that is what the CD cover said. For me, it is a good metal album, in fact, very good. The songs are great with dynamic music with great feeling (feeling of heavy metal of course). However, the progressive element can hardly be feel, if I relate the CD to the "definition of progressive rock".

It is true that progressive music should have somewhat long arrangement, which allows the musicians to go to different things, to try many different things on the song. The songs on Monday Morning Apocalypse are around 3 to 4 minutes, which are totally different with what progressive music should be. I know that this issue is not "compulsory" in progressive music, however it is really good if the songs are longer than 3 to 4 minutes.

The music composition is great, good arrangement, very good songs, very dynamic and metal. But again, when I started to enjoy one song that song has over which I think is the disadvantage of having short length of song. In terms of musicianship, the album doesn't show a really great level of it. Lets get back again to the progressive rock terminology. It states that a certain level of virtuosity is important in progressive rock music, and I believe progressive metal music really needs a quite high level of virtuosity. On some songs, there are some great solos and great drum riffs, however I don't really feel it is very good.

Above all, what I like from this album is the style of the music, very metal. Probably it is just me, because I really like metal songs, especially progressive metal. So if you are looking for good metal songs, this album will suits you. But don't buy it if you are looking for "strange" (good strange) progressive song, cause many songs in this album use 4/4 beat.

So in the end I'd give three stars, good metal album but lack of progressiveness.

Keep Proggin' On The Free World!!

I fully agree with what Imoeng has mentioned that this album is more on metal than prog metal. Almost all songs were composed in straightforward structure with nearly no significant breaks or curved lines. If you enjoy melodic metal with guitar riffs and some guitar solo, this album is definitely for you. When I say "melodic" don't imagine something as nearly as Royal Hunt music because this album has more heavy riffs than any Royal Hunt album. Removing all prog expectations from your mind, this album is a good one to enjoy. Accept the music "as is" not what you expect should be.

The opening track "Monday Morning Apocalypse" has all the heavy riffs and rhythm section and some guitar solos. It flows beautifully to softer music of "Unspeakable" which I like the guitar riffs and rhythm section. I'm sure if you love metal music, this track and previous one will satisfy your needs. You got everything: heavy rhythm and riffs as well as melody and guitar solo. This also happens with next track "Lost" and moves into softer one in "Obedience" intro which gives us a kind of "break". But the music of "Obedience" moves up to heavier one. Nice guitar riffs are delivered here, augmented with keyboard section.

On track 6 "In Remembrance" the band brings us to really a softer music but still in the vein of metal. For some reason, when I listen to this track, my memory brings me back to the voice of David Coverdale of Deep Purple. I would say that this is like Deep Purple plays metal music. "At Loss For Words" brings the music back to heavy guitar riffs and high register notes on vocal line. The music reaches its true break when soft piano touch fills "Till Dagmar" - a short bridge that connects to "Still In The Water" - another upbeat tempo music. "The Dark I walk You Through" has again reminded me to the voice of David Coverdale with heavy riffs augmented with nice piano sounds. "I Should" is another good composition.

Overall, this album would satisfy those of you who favor metal music. For me personally, I was a bit disappointed because when I bought the CD at local store I expected that it would sound proggier than this one. It does not mean that I don't like this record, it's good for my ears. Removing all prog clouds that might be around your mind, you might be able to enjoy this album as well. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

It is rare that I come across such a well-produced album containing such mediocrity.

Because this release is very well produced, the band sound good and tight - but whatever happened to songwriting?

Generic metal of the kind popular in the late eighties and early nineties is what this release contains. And even effective use of the keyboard to enhance the moods can't hide the fact that the songs are predictable to the point of being plain boring.

Lots of guitars but with little or no variety, lots of aggressive and melodramatic metal vocals with little or no variety. Very predictable song structures; no surprises, no "moments of wonder".

All sparkles of creativity seem to be long gone; what's left is well produced music without a soul.

Two tracks are a bit better than the rest: "Monday Morning Apocalypse" and "Still In The Water". Worth listening to for the curious.

I picked up Evergrey's Monday Morning Apocalypse in April, hoping for another concept album filled with epic-length tracks and extended instrumental breaks. Instead, I got an album with 3-4 minute tracks, that seemed to be the anti-Evergrey. I despised it. I panned it. I couldn't even bring myself to review it, I hated it that much. I recall giving my copy to a friend, and he ended up using it as a coaster, and the booklet as a dartboard.

Well, another buddy lent me a bunch of albums, and this was one of them. I thought I'd listen to it again, seeing if it was still so laughably bad.

To my surprise, it's not. It's utterly -amazing-. This might be Evergrey's best work yet. It's extremely focused, without a single wasted note. It's a very sacrificial record; no single musician is spotlighted at the expense of the song. The arrangements are brilliant, being accessible on the surface, but constantly changing and evolving within a tight framework. The solos, while short, are the most technical and creative that they've ever done. The keys, while generally low in the mix, are -perfect-, always accentuating the rhythm with clever, subtle melodies; when they take the lead, it's never excessive, and always fitting for the moment.

Lyrically, a different approach is taken; instead of a single concept for the whole album, there are a handful small stories, weaving threads throughout the album. Some of them are very dark, some are depressing, but all are classic Evergrey.

This album is not an attempt to sell out. This album is not Evergrey being lazy. Monday Morning Apocalypse is dark progressive metal, distilled completely to its purest essence, like a shot of Everclear to the throat. It never lets up, and it'll take many, many listens to discover every last nook and cranny of its subtle brilliance. Many fans will miss the noodling and extended breaks, but with an open mind and an ear for prog done a different, more mature way, this could easily become a favorite for years to come.

I feel no hesitation giving this album 5 stars; it's Evergrey at their finest, and a successful experiment at a new, mature, deceptively intricate way of creating progressive music.

Evergrey hit the bottom with this, what a lame affair. Tom S. Englund must really have run out of ideas, because this is repetitive and even more heavy metal inspired than the last two albums. I can´t find one riff or melody I like on this album. It´s that generic. Believe me when I say that you shouldn´t waste your time on this. To think that I once compared Evergrey to the mighty Nevermore is just laughable these days. This band have destroyed their reputation with this album ( and the two previous ones).

Just listen to the title, it´s hilariously stupid. I have really tried to listen to this with an open mind, and allthough I feel like I succeeded the album is still crappy. If you wan´t music like Evergrey once played: Dark slightly progressive metal with clever lyrics and brutal riffs listen to the ever consistent Nevermore instead. The only albums Evergrey have made worth listening to are Solitude + Dominance + Tragedy and In Search of Truth. The rest is forgettable and even worse a waste of time.

I Agree with the above reveiwers that this is no doubt a Heavy Metal Album,and a poor one at that I was brought up on Heavy Metal,Sabbath,Rush,UFO,Iron Maiden Etc,who we all know made very decent albums,but this is utter crap,not progressive at all,and as i said,a very poor metal album. Folks,spend your money on other albums but stay away from this album at all costs(unless you get it for nothing that is). You can try and listen to this as much as you want,hoping it will get better but it wont. A very poor album by such a good band is such a great let down.

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

Evergrey is an amazing balance in the field of Progressive Metal. yes, I said "Progressive"

They've taken the mundane screaming, growling, 15 minute bridges and the lyrics of 'trolls' and 'fairies' and replaced them with thought out lyrics, incredible riffs and vocals you can understand. Maybe they are more 'Heavy Metal' than 'Prog' but they're still not commercial metal that's out there.

I bought Monday Morning Apocolypse a few years ago and it's the most played album on my Ipod and Itunes. It literally gets better and better the more you listen.

I have to say these boys are Progressive alright. I've been listening to them since 1999 and every album gets better than the last along with the music style that grows.

It's sad that there are those of you who would give 1 star to Evergrey and 5 stars to Opeth or Cradle of Filth, glorifying them as metal gods.. Maybe its cause you don't like quality or talent in your music. or maybe its just that you wanna play loud obnoxious racket to annoy your parents or think it'll make you cool to the non-Goths. But you're just wasting your time.

After two bombastic power metal albums, Evergrey returned to a more down-stripped melodic metal sound. If didn't charm many fans but I got drawn to it by a couple of positive reviews. In retrospect it is certainly not as good as their first albums but as an introduction to Evergrey it came at the right time for me.

The synths have all but disappeared so we get a solidly rocking metal sound. It almost sounds like a grunge album. Tom S Englund's vocals are produced without the reverb of the preceding albums, the drums are dry and crisp and the guitars full and sharp. The songs have traditional verse-chorus structures and are decidedly more accessible then anything Evergrey put out. I guess songs like Unspeakable and Lost almost sound like glam metal tracks to the fans. With the melodious verses and anthemic choruses it will sure appeal to traditional metal audiences.

I suspect Evergrey now regret this turn to a more commercial sound. They sure did their best to make up for it by returning to their old style on the next album. But this one, mainstream as it may sound, has the better songwriting. For fans of Dio, Kamelot and the likes.