MONDAY MORNING APOCALYPSE

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.

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.

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

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.