evergrey_2004_10

» Evergrey 2004 10 09

Reviewed by Thomas
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City: Gothenburg, Sweden
Venue: Storan
Date: 09 Oct 2004
Evergrey setlength: 120 minutes

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Evergrey

The DVD-gig with Evergrey in their hometown was set to take place at a rather odd venue for metal, as it was held at a theatre named Storan. And it was indeed a special place for a concert, at first it felt a little strange to attend in this old and beautiful decorated theatre for a metal concert. But as it turned out, it had a great atmosphere and that helped to create an intimate and theatrical feeling. As the concert was to be recorded, the set was divided in three parts, to allow the camera guys to switch tapes in their cameras. So there were two short intermissions, and Evergrey really took advantage of that. And it was definitely a "best of" setlist, everything you wanted hear and more was there, a perfect summary of their career so far.

It was almost a football chanting that took place when the crowd was cheering for Evergrey before they finally entered the stage and started with the song Blinded. It was obvious that the guys were loaded to their teeth to make this concert the very best as they possibly could. And they did, the solos and harmonies was nailed perfectly all along. This was surely great but the sound was not as perfect as I expected, hopefully it will come out better on the DVD because there was a lack of heaviness concerning the drum sound and the sound from Michael Håkansson's bass. A three piece choir was also on stage to help with the back up singing, and that was brilliant. Apart from the fact that it looked cool to have a choir on a metal stage, they really made many of the songs lift, as it added another dimension to the songs with a live-choir, instead of a pre-recorded one, or non at all. Something for other bands to take after. And the concert went really well from the start to the last song Mark Of The Triangle, before the curtain fell for the first time, marking the end of the first chapter.

When the curtains opened after the first short intermission, there was a string quartet present on stage. Maybe my ears are destroyed after hundreds of concerts, but I only saw the quartet play, I didn't hear them. It appeared to be playback, visually it looked amazing to have this quartet in the middle of the stage but it didn't feel like they added something audio-wise, hopefully that will come out better on the DVD sound. But the performance from Rikard Zander on keyboard and Jonas Ekdahl on drums in interaction with the strings, made When The Walls Go Down a real highlight. As did tracks like Nosferatu and Recreation Day before the curtain was to fall for another short break.

And when the curtains opened for the last time after the second short intermission, one of the women from the choir did a duet with Tom in the ballad For Every Tear That Falls, and it was just beautiful, even magical. And this three last songs that they did in this last set was just as good as it could get. A Touch Of Blessing and The Masterplan are really strong songs to end a concert with. Especially when they were as great as this time, and when the lights faded you couldn't feel anything else than satisfied. Visually the concert was a feast for the eye, nothing like explosions or fire or any effects like that, it was just so very tastefully lightened and the ambience from the theatre is gonna make this look fantastic on the DVD, believe me.

Even if the guys in the band did very well and gave everything, they all looked like extras next to singer Tom Englund. His presence and charisma on stage is outstanding, he surely turns into a mighty character on stage and the fact that he sings brilliant makes him even more convincingly. A unique voice that contains power as well as emotion, and I don't think there could be a more suiting voice for the music that Evergrey makes. It really was a great concert and it was memorable even though it tends to become too much of the same at times. Even if they have progressed remarkably with their music over the years, many songs turn out to sound as each other when presented live. Individually great songs, but they tend to sound too close to one another when the raw live element is added.

This was not the best concert I have been to but it was definitely the best Evergrey concert I have ever seen, and it was one of those concerts that you wouldn't have wanted to miss for anything in the world. Truly a historical moment. And I could go on forever and tell about this gig, but you will have to wait until the DVD is released to see it yourself, because words can't rightfully describe some of the magic of this evening.

8 Chalices of 10
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SETLIST

Blinded
End Of Your Days
More Than Ever
She Speaks To The Dead
Rulers Of The Mind
Blackened Dawn
Waking Up Blind
As I Lie Here Bleeding
Misled
Mark Of The Triangle
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When The Walls Go Down
Harmless Wishes
Essence Of Conviction
Solitude Within
Nosferatu
Recreation Day
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For Every Tear That Falls
A Touch Of Blessing
The Masterplan