IN SEARCH OF TRUTH

Evergrey play progressive metal with the "metal" side of the equation drawing a little from power metal, which is a combination which in other hands could lend itself to cheesiness, but I was pleasantly surprised by In Search of Truth. It's a concept album that overtly presents a story about alien abduction, but focuses more on the emotional ordeal of the experience (as depicted in Whitley Strieber's Communion), and as a result has more widely applicable emotional themes than you might expect from the concept. In fact, overall Evergrey display a subtle touch, engaging less in bombast or technical flashiness than many prog and power metal competitors and concentrating instead on really solid compositions and moods.