The band was … Read Full Bio ↴Evergrey is a melodic metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden.
The band was founded in 1996 and released its debut album The Dark Discovery in 1998.
Evergrey's lyrics have always been of the darker sort. While The Dark Discovery dealt with a variety of ideas, later albums have been concept albums, dealing with issues like self-reformation (Recreation Day), paranoia, alien abduction (In Search of Truth), child abuse, and religion (The Inner Circle).
Recreation Day is an album that covers many issues, ranging from death and mourning to general fear and sorrow, all of which contribute to a greater concept of re-creation of oneself. These ideas are explored from many different points of view, such as someone contemplating suicide ("As I Lie Here Bleeding"), mourners after a funeral ("I'm Sorry," a cover of Dilba Demirbag's hit) and dying priests looking back on their "unforgivable" sins (molestation) ("Unforgivable"). "Unforgivable" also acted as a catalyst for the next album, (The Inner Circle), which dealt with the same two issues described in the song: religion and child abuse.
All releases so far:
* The Dark Discovery (1998)
* Solitude • Dominance • Tragedy (1999)
* In Search of Truth (2001)
* I'm Sorry (rare single, 2003)
* Recreation Day (2003)
* The Inner Circle (2004)
* A Night To Remember (live CD/DVD, 2005)
* Monday Morning Apocalypse (both single and album, 2006)
* Torn (2008)
* Glorious Collision (2011)
* Hymns for the Broken (2014)
* The Storm Within (2016)
For decades, Sweden has continued to produce the top names in heavy metal, regardless of sub-genre. Although debuting back in '98, this Gothenburg outfit is only now receiving the international acclaim due them. Molding the various pedigrees of their countrymen into one distinctive sound: supreme musicianship prized by perfectionists, yet intense enough to win the blackened hearts of those more primordial, EVERGREY offer fans something truly different.
In these days of paint-by-numbers releases, where everyone mimics the elite purveyors of a particular style, EVERGREY's music is something unique. Reviewers, and fans alike, typically use other bands as a reference point when discussing music.
On July 25th, 2006, Michael Håkansson has decided to part ways with Evergrey. The new bass player will be the band's long-time friend Fredrik Larsson (Hammerfall). Michael left on good terms with the band stating that he wanted to do his own thing musically.
In June of 2007, Fredrik Larsson decided to leave Evergrey to rejoin Hammerfall.
The new bass player is Jari Kainulainen (ex-Stratovarius).
The band has decided that it is the time for some changes. As they wrote at their official webpage:
"Thomas and Rikard have together with Henrik and Jonas made the mutual decision that it was best for all that they leave Evergrey. They wanted to and the rest wanted them to. The last tours, recordings and just hanging with each other has not been as fun and giving as earlier AND before it would go too far, resulting in a collision in between friends, which could ruin everything we have built up during the years, they decided to call it quits"
Actually, Tom Englund (voice,guitar) & Rikard Zander (keyboards) stay in the band as a core members.
New members:
Marcus Jidell (Royal Hunt) on Guitars
Johan Niemann (ex-Therion, Mind’s Eye) on Bass
Hannes Van Dahl on Drums
Occasionally a musician has to take a step back into the past to develop artistically. Tom Englund, guitarist and vocalist with Swedish rock group Evergrey, took this risk and reorganised his artistic environment. “The most recent Evergrey line-up had reached a point where we no longer had fun as a group,” he confesses, adding: “So we went our separate ways to save our friendship. There were no angry words, and we’re still friends privately.”
Naturally, the decision to break up wasn’t easy for these long-standing friends, especially for Englund and his remaining keyboardist, Rikard Zander, for whom a continuation ofEvergrey was never called into question. Yet they both had to face a new challenge: “In the beginning, we weren’t sure whether we’d be able to write a new album without the wealth of experience that the previous line-up brought in. But after Rikard and I had composed a full three numbers during the first week, we felt that was a real coup.”
Listeners will feel this positive energy throughout Glorious Collision, the band’s eighth studio album, which is due for release on 28 February 2011 (Germany: 25 February 2011; USA/Canada: 22 February 2011) on Steamhammer/SPV. A dynamic goody bag featuring the most diverse material ever released on an Evergrey album. “This may sound like a contradiction in view of our personnel situation, but Rikard and I have allowed more influences on Glorious Collision than ever before. Some elements on Glorious Collisionare classic rock, based on a metal format, sometimes the tracks are quiet and haunting, sometimes wild, demanding and gripping.”
This diversity is also expressed in the instrumentation of this extremely dynamic studio production which presents the new band members Marcus Jidell (guitar), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Johan Niemann (bass). “It’s great to hear what a breath of fresh air Marcus, Johan and Hannes have brought into the band,” Englund enthuses. “Although the entire material, except for two songs to which Marcus wrote and contributed on the compositional side, had already been decided when we started recording, they all left their own, very personal mark on this album.” The great experience of Jidell and Niemann, who have worked with acts such as Royal Hunt and Therion, among others, and have now contributed lots of positive energy together with the 20-year-old drummer, Van Dahl, can be felt throughout the album.
Weightless
Evergrey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mind was never quiet enough
And when deceit arose it pulled me in
And I never came back
I can′t help to think that we got lost because of me
Can't help to feel that I brought on this travesty
Been lost so long that lost is the only thing I′ve ever known
I′m weightless in the water
Surrounded by the deep
I stare my past in its eyes to say
It′s over, it's over my friend
I made a promise to myself that I
Would never falter, never fade so I
Could stare my past in its eyes
Over and over
There was a whisper, a time was now fulfilled
So when the bell chimed all stars aligned
I sat in wonder, eyes on the horizon
And I never looked back
I can′t help to think that we got lost because of me
Can't help to feel that I brought on this travesty
Been lost so long that lost is the only thing I′ll ever know
Can't help to feel like I′m alone
I'm weightless in the water
Surrounded by the deep
I stare my past in its eyes to say
It's over, it′s over my friend
I made a promise to myself that I
Would never falter, never fade so I
Could stare my past in its eyes
Over and over
I′m weightless in the water
Surrounded by the deep
I stare my past in its eyes to say
It's over, it′s over my friend
I made a promise to myself that I
Would never falter, never fade so I
Could stare my past in its eyes
Over and over
In "Weightless," Evergrey sings about the struggle to let go of the past and the attempts to move forward. The lyrics convey the weight of sorrow and regret that weighs down the singer. The first stanza of the song conveys how the singer had little time to think and a mind that was never calm. Their inability to focus and the presence of deceit pulled them down further into the vicious cycle. The singer is filled with guilt and cannot help but believe that they are responsible for their loss. They have been lost for so long that they feel hopeless and isolated. They feel that they are alone in their struggles.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of the singer's determination to move forward. The lyrics "I'm weightless in the water, surrounded by the deep" conveys that the singer is at peace with their past and trying to let go. They seem to have found a moment where they can finally face their past and declare that it is over. They have promised themselves that they will never falter or fade and that they will face their past over and over again.
The second stanza of the song speaks about a time when the singer hears the bell chime and all the stars align. The lyrics suggest a moment when everything felt right, and the singer feels a sense of wonder. This turning point marks their journey towards achieving peace with the past. The chorus repeats, further emphasizing the singer's commitment to face their past head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
I rarely had enough time to think
My mind was constantly busy and preoccupied with thoughts
My mind was never quiet enough
My mind was always restless, never able to find peace
And when deceit arose it pulled me in
Whenever I encountered dishonesty or trickery, I was easily caught up in it
And I never came back
I was unable to return to a state of clarity and honesty
I can’t help to think that we got lost because of me
I feel like I am responsible for the situation we find ourselves in
Can't help to feel that I brought on this travesty
I believe my actions led to this terrible outcome
Been lost so long that lost is the only thing I’ve ever known
I have been drifting aimlessly for such a long time that feeling lost is now familiar to me
Can't help to feel that I'm alone
I sense a deep sense of loneliness, regardless of whether others are around me
I'm weightless in the water
I feel free and unencumbered, like I can move in any direction
Surrounded by the deep
I am engulfed by an immense and awesome body of water
I stare my past in its eyes to say
I confront my past mistakes and hold myself accountable for them
It's over, it's over my friend
I acknowledge that the pain and struggle is behind me, and I'm ready to move forward
I made a promise to myself that I
I hold myself accountable for moving forward and not giving in to the same mistakes
Would never falter, never fade so I
I will not waver in my determination to move forward and grow as a person
Could stare my past in its eyes
I am willing to face my past mistakes and see them clearly
Over and over
This process of introspection and growth will never truly end
There was a whisper, a time was now fulfilled
An opportunity arose, and I knew it was my moment to act
So when the bell chimed all stars aligned
The circumstances fell into place perfectly, as if the universe was conspiring with me
I sat in wonder, eyes on the horizon
I marveled at the beauty around me and felt grateful for the chance to change
And I never looked back
Once I made my decision, I committed fully and did not second-guess myself
Writer(s): Henrik Danhage, Johan Niemann, Jonas Ekdahl, Rikard Zander, Thomas Englund
Contributed by Adrian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Allen Schmucker
Heavy af yet still so melodic...this is why Evergrey is so amazing!
Denis LP
There's nothing more badass than playing drums while they're burning on fire!!!
EPIC SONG, EPIC VIDEO!
Cameron Keeter
What about playing the drums while the drummer is on fire? Check out the song Fire by Affiance.
KANE
I am sure it was CGI. Also awesome to see a drum solo in the studio version of a song too! Jonas is an amazing drummer!
Zenaide Bernhart
Incomparável Evergrey é grande pelo trabalho que faz
Metal Forever
Evergrey é muito, muito foda. É melhor banda da atualidade.
Carlos Eduardo Coelho
Evergrey é foda demaaaais! \../
Geoffrey Bennett
Evergrey may be one of the finest writing bands out there right now, they can flat out play their asses off too.. Inspiring.
Vredesbyrd666
This is simply amazing. Evergrey just never disappoint
Sean Wilson
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell YEEEEEEEEEEEAH, BROTHER!!! fist bump