Glorious Collision

SPV

Swedish Power Metal masters Evergrey have returned with their ninth release to date and what amounts to a completely revamped line up with frontman/guitarist Tom S. Englund remaining as the only original member of the band. As these things go, and they seem to happen more and more these days, it is important to establish first and formost that the Evergrey sound is solid and has never been more defined than what is found on this remarkable new memento in their lengthy catalog. Sometimes an artist needs to take a step back to move forward and Glorious Collision is just the antidote needed to set the band back on the right path.

Following the somewhat mediocre success of their last two releases Monday Morning Apocalypse and Torn, Glorious Collision comes as a much needed breath of fresh air and fans are sure to agree that this latest installment even rivals the bands eponymous debut, 1998's The Dark Discovery. No concepts or experimentation to be found, the CD boasts a massive array of emotionally charged bitter sweet insights that document the bands demise and rebirth. Combined with a wall of crunch and soulfully tinged melody lines Glorious Collision is very likely to serve as the soundtrack to many fans lives who can put themselves in similar circumstances where in order to hold on to a friendship it may in fact call for a sacrifice of extreme measures.

Truly standout songs such as "Leave it Behind", "I'm Drowning Alone", "Restoring the Loss" and "It Comes From Within" all seek to provide a light at the end of the tunnel, a recurring theme of Evergrey's music yet it is safe to say that the means for one to find this light has never been an easy task and Mr. Englund and company evoke a genuine spirit of conflict and strife via their compositions. Glorious Collision is an album worthy of praise and one that seemingly holds the key to the bands continued journey through the annals of life's mysteries and the meandering of Metal culture.

-Priest