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NORTH

Everon

Heavy Prog


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Everon North album cover
3.79 | 92 ratings | 7 reviews | 21% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2008

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Hands (5:11)
2. A Brief Encounter (6:51)
3. From Where I Stand (5:55)
4. Test of Time (5:02)
5. North (5:03)
6. South of London (4:04)
7. Wasn't It Good (6:34)
8. Woodworks (3:24)
9. Islanders (4:18)
10. Running (5:00)

Total Time 51:22

Line-up / Musicians

- Oliver Philipps / vocals, piano, keyboards, guitars, orchestrations, co-producer
- Ulli Hoever / guitars
- Schymy / bass
- Christian Moos / drums & percussion, co-producer & mixing

With:
- Judith Stüber / vocals (9)
- Rupert Gillet / cello (3,4,7)

Releases information

Artwork: Jan Yrlund

CD Mascot Records ‎- M 7107 2 (2008, Netherlands)

Thanks to The Crow for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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EVERON North ratings distribution


3.79
(92 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(21%)
21%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(44%)
44%
Good, but non-essential (27%)
27%
Collectors/fans only (8%)
8%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

EVERON North reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by The Crow
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars After 6 years of long waiting... The new Everon's album is here! And it's just another wonderful piece of prog music!

But the first thing I have to say is... Everon are not Neo-Progressive!!!!!!! I think they have nothing to do with this style of music. Maybe their first two albums were a bit influenced by neo-prog in the sound of keyboards. But the rest of their discography is really different from bands like Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, Collage... Everon are just not Neo-Progressive, and I think that every prog fan who knows what this kind of music is about, will be agree with me.

If I have to give Everon an style, I think they play some kind of symphonic hard rock, with a lot of AOR influences... The keyboards are very present in their music. The piano has also a lot of protagonism building melodies in their songs... And sometimes, they use some cellos and classical guitars. They have also some powerful guitar riffs, but not in the same way of progressive metal. Maybe Saga comes to my mind when I hear this great german band, but also AOR bands like Asia, Journey... But with more complex structures in their songs, mixing a lot of mellow moments with some bombastic ones. So maybe Heavy Prog is the best name I could give to Everon. But never Neo-Progressive!

So speaking about North... If you have heard the last two Everon's albums, the wonderful Bridge and the equally great Flesh, you should know that North is like a kind of mixture between them. The rockier side of Bridge is here in songs like Hands and South of London. But the mellow melodies and symphonic elements of Flesh are back in Islanders and Wasn't It Good... But there are also some parts wich make me remember earlier Everon's efforths, like the fast verses of Running, or the Fantasma- similar Woodworks... So I must say that North is like a kind of summary of the entiere Everon's career!

But what a summary... The lyrics are the most mature that Oliver Phillips has ever written, in my opinion. They speak about very different matters: religion (Brief Encounter), nostalgia (Wasn't It Good), politic (South of London), the stress of ordinary life (Running), solitude (Islanders), broken relationships (From Where I Stand)... The usual Oliver's writing is back, but maybe more mature and deeper. The classic love matters are also here, but mixed up with other things... It's a real pleasure to read this wonderful lyrics!

The music, like I said, is not really different to the later Everon's albums... And this is the only problem I find in North. If you've heard the previous Everon's releases, you will be hardly surprised with this new album. Because the style is really similar... Maybe in the verses of South of London Oliver makes a surprising guitar work, with distorted vocals. The rest is not really new. The songs are a bit more piano oriented, and the keyboards have even more protagonism. The structure of the songs are also a bit more variated than before, because the mood of the songs is always changing, while in older albums the tracks were a bit more focused in mellow or hard ones... But North is more of the same anyway.

But the quality of the music is first class, as always... And so is the brilliant production and sound. Being Oliver Phillips and Christian Moos producers, and having recorded North in their own studio... The sound is impressive. The layers of keyboards are really well implemented, Oliver's voices sounds even better than before, more mature... His guitar playing is really talented, detailed and original. In North, he specially shines in the guitar solos... They make me have goosebumps! And of course, the drum sound is incredible. Moos is maybe my favourite drummer, and his distinctive playing is so outstanding as always!

So this is what you'll find in North... Great production, marvellous and touching lyrics, and a bunch of wounderful songs, made with real good taste, full of details and very catchy. It's a real pleasure to notice the Oliver Phillips's ability to build songs... They are really coherent, they flow naturally through your speakers... But they have also a lot of complexity! This is just good songwriting... And Everon's music is full of it!

Best tracks: Hands (one of the most catchy songs... I love the hard guitar riff, and the lyrics are very ingenious), Brief Encounter (the most complete song of the album... Deep lyrics, catchy chorus, great instrumental interlude, fine solo... A prog classic), From Where I Stand (similar to Pictures of You, from Flesh... Not so good, but still very nice), North (my favourite track of the album... The piano guides the whole song, making really touching melodies. Oliver give the whole soul to his singing here), South of London (very dynamic track, with some original guitar melodies in the verses... Perfect for be played live), Wasn't It Good (one of the best lyrics that Oliver has ever written... Another touching song), Woodworks (pleasant instrumental track, very similar to Battle of Words, from the album Fantasma...), Islanders (Judith Stüber came back to sing this beautiful song, the true ballad of the album... In the same style of other Everon's songs like Already Dead or The River), and Running (the frantic verses drive to the best chorus of the album, giving North an epic and brilliant ending...) The only song I didn't mentioned was Test of Time... It's not bad, but I think the repetitive chours is not in the same level of the rest of the album!

Conclusion: except the lack of evolution since the last two albums, and the weak chorus in Test of Time... North is another wonderful album made by this criminally underrated band, wich is one of the most touching and catchy prog acts out there. I really don't know why Everon is so unknown, having such a great production, being their music so accesible and in the same time, so deep and satisfiying for prog lovers. Everon is a hidden jewel... And I think I have a lot of luck, bacuse they've given me some of the best moments I've had with music in my whole life... And North is not an exception. One of the best albums in 2008 for me, without a doubt, although the pair of fails that it in my opinion make this album not plenty worthy of the five star rating.

My rating: ****1/2

Review by progrules
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars In one of my earlier reviews of an Everon album I said that the reviews of this bands albums could be quite short because there is a very obvious Everonsound that shines through on all of their albums. And it's more a matter of like it or not that will determine ones rating more or less. Maybe that's the case with more bands but I feel it's very much a feature of Everons music.

And that's also the case with their latest North. It's almost as if I'm listening to one of their previous albums especially if you listen superficially. Of their predecessors I believe Venus and Flesh were a bit more out of the ordinary but North is one of those very recognizable ones like the others. But that doesn't have to be a problem or point of criticism of course because if you like their sound: why bother ? Many proggers feel that originality and innovation are important factors in progressive music and they are probably right but what's wrong with a feeling of coming home with a certain album and say: yes, this is my thing, I love it. And that is the case with Everon for me, you know what you can expect from these guys and there is nothing wrong with that. If you want something new or different: there are some 3700 other bands and artists on this site !

Right now I'm listening to the entire album once again and arriving at track 9 by now it's all very familiar but just as I say this track 9 is actually different because a lady called Judith Stüber does a very nice vocal job here, great ballad. The other 9 songs are simply Everon, a very good Everon that is. 4 stars.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Hard to believe it's been six years since their last album. I know it sounds cliche but this is a more mature effort this time around. For me that's not a good thing. Haha.This isn't as emotional or powerful as my two favourites from them "Fantasma" and "Bridge". The cover art though is A+ along with the pictures in the liner notes.

"Hands" is such a cool song lyrically and instrumentally. My favourite. Maybe not surprisingly it's the most powerful song on here as well. The best part of the album for me is when it kicks in with sheer force early before settling down quickly. Those emotional vocals come in and it all sounds so good. More heaviness before 3 1/2 minutes to end it. "A Brief Encounter" opens with drums and a relaxed guitar solo before vocals and piano take over. It does become fairly powerful as the drums return. Nice guitar solo 4 1/2 minutes in. "From Where I Stand" features piano and guest cello before vocals and drums take over. It does become more passionate as the contrast continues. A guitar solo after 4 minutes. "Test Of Time" opens with cello then the song kicks into gear before a minute. More powerful 2 minutes in as the contrast continues. The guitar lights it up 4 minutes in.

"North" opens with the sound of water as piano comes in. Vocals and drums join in. Again they contrast the heavier and lighter passages well. Water sounds to end it. "South Of London" is different, almost experimental with some processed vocals. Good tune. "Wasn't It Good" puts the focus squarely on the vocals and lyrics. Cello before 4 minutes. Lots of piano in this one. "Woodworks" is the only instrumental and one of my favourites on here.The sounds of a chainsaw can be heard in the intro and outro and inbetween. This is uptempo with prominant piano and some good guitar 2 minutes in. "Islanders" features a guest female vocalist (Judith) who does a fantastic job on this song. This is another highlight for me. I'm not a fan of the intro on "Running" but it changes to a better sound. The contrast continues though.

Good album but not one of my favourites from them.

Review by b_olariu
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars North is their seventh studio album from 2008. Everon needed 6 years to release this album and to tell the truth is not better then the predecesors, but not weak either. Something worth mentioning is that Everon release albums with a constant quality, I mean every single album is good and has something to offer, one of those bands that realy knows to make the listner stays with ears opened all the time. This band don't have highs and lows, Everon has only highs from the beggining, well of course their albums never reaches the masterpiece status in my opinion, but for sure all are good and worth investigated by everybody intrested in good music. North is again well made with tipycal Everon sound, nice vocal parts made by Oliver Philipps , I think the cherry on the cake in this band, great vocalist, nice passages close to neo prog in places not far from Galleon , but aswell with some heavier sections like Enchant for ex. They are more up tempo and full of energy band then many of their field. Not a weak piece here, but not one is outstanding, only pleasent. So, I don't think North is their best album, to me the best and the most pleasent of all is Venus from 1997, I don't know realy why but to me is thier top of their career, anyway each album I've rated so far from Everon catalogue is 3 stars, nothing more nothing less. Great band that for sure needs a wider recognition by prog listners, neo or hevy prog alike. 3 stars, a good album but totaly non essential.

Latest members reviews

5 stars Unbelievabe and insanely surprising catchy music and hooks that sneak up on you with a few listens.....and then it hits you....the emotion, the detail, the layers, and the production of this music is utterly fantastic! I think many who come upon Everon in general will never have heard of them ... (read more)

Report this review (#216222) | Posted by RGF | Saturday, May 16, 2009 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This album was my introduction to German band Everon. I had read reviews of their albums before listening. The overwhelming consensus was that everyone has a hard time labeling their style of progressive music...Were they neo prog? Were they heavy prog? Were they symphonic? Metal? No one see ... (read more)

Report this review (#215716) | Posted by cutsofmeat | Thursday, May 14, 2009 | Review Permanlink

4 stars After you listen to Everon you won't be able to know why they are so unknown, even in the prog world. Everon is not only a typical progressive band. It's impossible to tell which is their style: sometimes it's neoprog, but then you can hear a lot of classical progressive rock influences with plen ... (read more)

Report this review (#184509) | Posted by Cronosmu | Thursday, October 2, 2008 | Review Permanlink

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