A live album masterpiece
Bodom J | Bethpage, TN United States | 03/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this album totally blew me away. I'm not sure how they did it, but they must have spent more money than they admitted (and they said they spent several thousand bucks) to make this live album so perfect. There isn't any muffled sound, no instrument mess ups but it still has that raw feel to it, do to it having a lot of bass sound to it and tom's rough but emotional vocals.
For Every Tear That Falls (track 7, on disk 2) is worth the price of admission alone. It's so fu**ing emotional that it's amost inhuman. His wife sings on this song too (she's a background vocalist on their albums and live in concert) and she goes really well with ol tom.
Their new drummer (Jonas, he didn't join the band until the inner circle) does the older songs justice. I was anxious to see if he could do it and let me tell you, he can. he's one heck of a drummer, becoming one of my favorites. I hope he stays with the band longer than the previous drummers.
The songs are well done, a true justice to their studio counterparts, speciffaly, their really older material from the dark discovery and solitude domincance and tragedy. But the real highlights are the songs from the in search of truth album. Truthfully, that album is my least favorite of the five evergrey albums that are out now but they translate very very well live and are probably my favorites of the live bunch.
Also, you can hear the bass very well here, something that is hard to hear usually from metal bands live, on dvd, cd, or in person. I really enjoyed inner circle and i'm glad they put a lot of songs on this live album from that.
Another great thing about the album is the vibe, the energy to it. While not nesacrily depressing, evergrey's music is and always been VERY VERY dark. I figured that would bog down the mood of the concert but it doesn't in the slightest bit. The crowd, the band, everyone sounds like they are having tons of fun.
the only problem i have with this amazing double live cd is When The Walls Come Down (Track 1 on disk 2). This song really sucks. It's a good instrumental but it's bogged down by incredibly pointless and stupid sound bites. I was hoping they would get rid of the sound bites for the live setting, but i was wrong.
however, this is no biggy.
The extended intro for As I Lie Here Bleeding (track 9, disc one) and the extended ending for The masterplan (track 9, disc 2) are both welcomed additions and very very cool.
All in all, if your a evergrey fan, this album (and the dvd, which will come out in late may of this year) is worth your time and money. I'm pretty sure this live cd will be in my cd player for a few weeks, at the least. If your looking to get into them or are just a casual fan then you need to check this out too. It gives a good overview of their amazing career (hope it continues for many many more albums) and it shows what this band really sounds like and that they can pull it off live.
But this. Now."
Evergrey soars to greatness
Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 04/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Evergrey have finally released their long-awaited double live album recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden last year. A Night to Remember is a splendid live release covering songs from the band's all five studio albums. Live albums are usually difficult to pull off; because some fans want to hear the songs rendered close to their original versions, while some others look for novelties. In Evergrey's case, it seems this won't be a problem, since Tom Englund and the band him behind easily manage to keep the unique Evergrey sound intact through the whole concert, still adding touches of new ideas.
The sound quality is simply excellent. Tom Englund and Henrik Danhage's guitar sound is thick and richly nuanced. They trade off solos like they do on their studio releases and their playing ranges from emotionally charging solos to crushing metal riffage depending on the songs. Englund's voice is absolutely amazing; he delivers each and every piece exactly the same way he does on the albums conveying emotions of fear, confusion and aggression. It could be that there are some overdubs on this album, but even if that's the case, they are no where close to being derivative.
New drummer Jonas Ekdahl had got me confused for a moment with his competent yet rather straightforward drumming on the last Evergrey album, The Inner Circle. However, the songs on A Night to Remember find Ekdahl kicking ass, doing the previous songs justice and playing them exactly the way they should be played. Even his tone fits with the rest of the instruments seamlessly -- check out his rhythm workout on "As I Lie Here Bleeding" and you'll see what I mean. The first disc is a bit more varied as it contains songs from all albums. My favourites would be the In Search of Truth numbers as they're more progressive and textured; "Mislead" is one of the longest tracks here and Rikard Zander plays a blindingly beautiful keyboard solo. He also shines on "Mark of the Triangle", another favourite song. "Rulers of the Mind", however, along with the final track is the ultimate climax of this 112-minute live album.
The Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra helps Evergrey create their huge sound, especially on The Inner Circle tracks. Three female vocalists, including Englund's wife, also support the band, adding impressive vocal melodies. Englund and his wife duet on "For Every Tear That Falls", a song from the band's underrated debut disc. The female vocalists are also amazing on "End of Your Days" and "More Than Ever".
The second disc starts off with "When the Walls Go Down", a song I'd never think they'd do live, since it's basically an instrumental track with punctuated voice-over parts. If there's anything that seems slightly out of place here, it's this tune. The band quickly goes back to its thunderous heaviness though. "Solitude Within" and "Nosferatu" from the band's second release both open up with a killer main riff supported by powerful bass, chaotic drumming and imposing keyboard lines. Even the violin on the former track is present in the music to stay true to the song's original format. "The Masterplan", spanning over 10 minutes, is an aural gratification displaying the great audience singing the chorus of the song. Tom Englund introduces his bandmates in the breakdown and they finish off the track by merging the keyboard-oriented parts into heavier guitar passages. A Night to Remember is a great live album from a great band -- check it out."
Emotions Runs High!!!!
Elton Lee | Boston, MA United States | 03/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love Evergrey in everywhere.. This live cd just makes me so emotional especially songs from The Inner Circle cause I have been listening and embracing the album since its release. I am a person who is able to connect anything with my emotion. Listening to the live cd with Tom's Voice at its peak and the choir giving their very best performance makes me weep endlessly. The crowd roars and the band plays as if this is their last show just makes me felt like I was there in Evergrey's World!!! I really do not know how I would react once the DVD comes out!!!! Only time will tell!!!"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1