Customer Reviews

Recreation Day

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Actually I take the title back, this isn't prog-metal perfection, it is perfection found in the prog-metal genre. This means that even people who usually do not like progressive music will still like this. Take nearly every reason that people do not like progressive music and throw it out the window; there is none of that to be found here. The music also shows an influence of power metal, but once again this contains none of the downsides normally associated with the genre (relentless kick-drums, lame lyrics, screeching singers). Unlike most of Evergrey's other albums, this is not a concept album. Each song holds up all by itself. Here's how they rate.

1. The Great Deceiver 10/10- Excellent song to lead off the album. Possibly my favorite Evergrey song. Probably the heaviest song on the album.
2. End of your Days 9/10- As you can guess by the title, this is one of Evergrey's trademark depressive-metal songs. Decent song, but doesn't really stick out from the rest of the songs.
3. As I Lie Here Bleeding 10/10- This song is highlighted by singer/guitarist Tom Englund's fantastic, emotional vocals. Spectacular chorus and guitar work.
4. Recreation Day 10/10- Maybe one of the greatest songs ever written. You can find everything that makes Evergrey great in this song: Strong and passionate vocals, skillful riffing, powerful and melodic guitar solos, and the keyboard used to its greatest capability without going overboard and being cheesy. This song alone is worth the price of the disc.
5. Visions 10/10- Another great song that is depressive until the guitar solo, where it unexpectedly becomes uplifting. The highlight of the song is the guitar solo in the middle.
6. I'm Sorry 9/10- An excellent rendition of a song that was originally a hit on pop radio in Sweden. Englund gets a chance to show off his vocal chops and he succeeds brilliantly.
7. Blinded 10/10- This song has my favorite chorus and riffs on the album. Of course, Englund gives a powerful vocal performance.
8. Fragmants 7/10- Englund proves that he has incredible range in this song, going from high-pitched yells to a near death-metal scream! That being said, there is no need to worry about either of the two extremes mentioned before because, as always, Englund does it successfully, and more importantly, tastefully. Excellent song is ruined by the lame gothic choir.
9. Madness Caught Another Victim 6/10- Decent song that is too short and lacks a guitar solo.
10. Your Darkest Hour 7/10- Very emotional Evergrey song (is there any other kind?). I wish they would have included a guitar solo, though.
11. Unforgiveable 7/10- I dunno, it's not that this is a bad song, it just seems an unsatifying one to end the album. A guitar solo would have been nice, too.

I know that I seem shallow for saying that songs could have been better with a guitar solo, but both Englund and fellow guitarist Henrik Danhage's emotional, melodic solos become the part that sticks in your mind for the majority of the songs. Also I must comment on the keyboardist because he is one of the few keyboardists in the genre that use their instrument to benefit the actual songs. Many keyboardists today just use their air-time to show off without adding anything to the song, but here the keyboards are used to perfection. The same goes for the guitar solos. Both guitarists never go into self-indulgant guitar solos, but still manage to convey what amazing guitarists they both are. And Tom Englund's voice; let me just say right now that there is no other voice like his in all of metal. He manages to convey emotion and power at the same time. Evergrey is one of the most promising bands in the genre and Recreation Day is by far their most accessible, but also their best. Do yourself a favor and buy it now.

If you enjoyed Evergrey's "In Search of Truth", chances are you'll cherish this CD as well. You get much of the same, taken to a higher level of aggression, with crunchy, haunting riffs, heavy tone, and some melodic, seamless solos that perfectly complement the music. Englund's vocals are excellent, walking a fine line between compassion and accusation. Whenever I hear him singing, I think of an impassioned prosecutor demanding justice for crimes against humanity in court. There's a good blend of tempos here, with power ballads, songs that could (and should) be heard on the radio, and longer suites. Every song is highly enjoyable and gives one the cold sweats if you concentrate on the lyrics and let them wash over your mind with compact fury. Evergrey is the type of unique band that seems to do no wrong, crafting superb music that leaves you panting for more.

This album is probably going to be the best album of 2003 (well unless Nevermore can pull off better), so you know that it's special to many like myself. Lets make this clear, this is Power/Prog metal so don't exspect a guy growling the whole way thru with drummers going faster than engines. No, you will find heavy/softer metal with very deep vocals with emotion. The subject matter for most of the album is death, so tears may fall. This is the best so far that Evergrey has done, so if indeed you are trying out evergrey, Pick this one up. One more note for the fans, This Version of the album is very cool and neat. You get a book for an album cover and such. Cd comes in a page at the end of the book (no tabs to break!), and comes with more artwork and pictures from concerts in 2002 and the singer Tom writes to the fans in the book explaining the making of the album. Now onto my review of the tracks.... 1. The Great Deceiver- A great Start to the album. Being one of the heavyer tracks, your find after 2 to 3 plays, that indeed this headbanger worthy. ..90%2. End Of Your Days- A very moving Powerful song. Tom couldn't have sang it better. Perfect track! ...100% 3. As I Lie Here Bleeding- Sort of a 80's vibe here, but with decent delivery. Yet another deep song about dieing. ...95% 4. Recreation Day- I have to admit the lyrics which I read first led me to believe this song would suck. Don't bother reading the lyrics. Turn on the tune and listen! I was surprised how good this one was. ...95% 5. I'm Sorry- The first single for this album is a cover from a performer in Sweden. However This version of the song delivers quite a punch. Please just listen to it! ...95% 6. Blinded- Heavyer track. Some cool guitar work here. worth a listen. ...90% 7. Fragments- This is the first part of what I like to call "I'm Dieing Trilogy". This one has a weird doomy sound to the vocals in the chorus. Speaks of dieing and the losing of life from the point of view of the dieing. Do not be surprised when you find yourself playing this track to death! ...100% 8. Madness Caught Another Victim- This is the second part of "I'm Dieing Trilogy" as I named it. This is a very emotional Ballad about leaving the ones who they love, from the point of view from the dieing. The only flaw with this track is it's too short! (under 3 minutes). ...95% 9. Your Darkest Hour- The last part of the "I'm Dieing Trilogy" As I name it. This part speaks to the living from the dead one they are missing. I Very tender yet heavy and deep song. It will very much grow on you! ....100% 10. Unforgivable- A decent end for the album. ...90% 11. Trilogy Of The Damned (Bonus Track)- This track has the songs: "As light is our darkness", "Words mean Nothing", "The shocking truth" in a row and are only performed with Keyboard, Vocals and a little guitar. It's a treat of a bonus track which had been the bonus track to "In Search of Truth" for the japan version, but due to poparlar request was placed on this album as a bonus for those who don't like spending $40 for an extra track. ....90% If you like this album (which you will!), please also check out the following albums: Evergrey-In Search of Truth(a must have!), Nevermore- Dreaming Neon Black, Evergrey- Solitude+Dominance+Tragedy, Angeldust- Enlighten the Darkness, evergrey- The Dark Discovery(their first album, go look of bands site for info), Nevermore-Dead Heart in a Dead World, and Angeldust-Of Human Bondage.    

This has to be one of the most beautiful, incredible and emotional albums I have ever heard in metal. If you think your foolish trendy Green Day ballads are emotional, pick this up see what real emotion is. The lyrics are poetry from the heart and everything else, from the guitars, bass, drums and keyboards all come from the heart and add atmosphere to already chilling lyrics/vocals. To listen to this album is to live it. I'm sure it must sound cliche to somebody reading this that doesn't know me but this feels like a concept album to my life at the point where I am. I wept the first time I heard this album. The emotion is raw and real. Nothing fake, nothing cheap and nothing used to make a dollar. I find it incredible how the guitar seems to reflect the mood so well, the energy or the depression of the song, depending on which song you're listening to. Tom Englund and co have to be some of the best musicians I have heard. This is tied for my favorite Evergrey album with "In Search of Truth" and easily in my top ten albums of all time. This album is almost like therapy if you're feeling sad and are without hope. I don't just recommend this to metal fans but fans of great music. No gimmick no bull*hit just real emotion.


1. The Great Deceiver: The first riff to kick in made me realize I was in for one hell of a ride on my first listen. The lyrics revolve around somebody who is a deceiver, somebody with too much pride. Almost a cult leader in some senses. Tom's vocals in the chorus are beyond beautiful. The rest of the band is in full effect too and make this opener one to not soon be forgotton. Atmosphere is broading by the excellent keyboards of Rikard Zander. There is almost an opera like war chant at one point as well. 5/5

2. End of Your Days: The electronic intro turned me off at first but being that I just finished listening to the opening track and saw what the band was made of, I figured i'd stick with it. The electronic part becomes less annoying throughout the song. The lyrics are filled with hope lost. A song that still brings tears to my eyes. The riff that kicks in at one minute is enchanting. A chorus that hits you like a wave without warning. 5/5

3. As i Lie Here Bleeding: One of the most incredible songs I have ever heard. Just the organ keyboard intro to the pounding drums, the first thirty seconds are better than all of the trash radio songs.

"Falling out of what I know is true
Falling come shelter me as I lie here bleeding
Falling away from what I thought was you
Falling come shelter me as I lie here bleeding"

Words that still send shivers down my spine. Lyrics filled with sorrow and dare I say hope? 20/5

4. Recreation Day: Just when I thought the album could not get anymore powerful i'm hit with the wave of emotion that is "Recreation Day" a song about losing loved ones and the sadness and feelings of being "cursed beyond control" that come with it. best song here. Everybody is on their A game. One of thee most epic chorus' I have ever heard. A touching song. 30/5

5. Visions: One of the most thrashy type songs here. Keyboards are brilliant. Slightly difficult to hear but only build on the song. A strong riff carries this one. Lyrics revolving around A not so distant future and paranoia. Any true metalhead will be banging their head one moment then weeping the next. Goes from brutal to beautiful in about two seconds flat. Few songs and even fewer bands can do such. Not a song you'll wanna pass up. 5/5

6. I'm Sorry: After one of the heaviest songs, we're given one of the most emotional and sad songs Evergrey has to offer. The light keyboard intro sets the mood for Tom's vocals. Lyrics of waking up one day and seeing how dreams of what you wanted more than anything that didn't come true, with focusing on how hard it is to come to terms with that. The line " t's disgusting what dreams can do." speak so true to my heart at this point in my life. The chorus of Tom singing i'm sorry is a more than memorable moment here. one of the best ballads I have ever heard. Pure emotion and talent is what you can exspect from this one. 6/5

7. Blinded: The speend of the intro guitar riff is just blazing. Showing some flashy talent. The keyboards like always seem to be in the background but add so much power to the song. It just wouldn't be the same without them. Another fast and thrashy song. When Tom sings "False world created, i jsut watch it come to life, your faith's my own weapon and your trust by my side. Lost all my senses, can't feel, can't hear i'm blinded i'm blinded" I had to pick my jaw up from the floor.It's that amazing and then some. 6/5

8. Fragments: A song that opens with a riff that to me speaks "I'm down but to hell with you, i'm getting back up" lyrics seem to reflect the same idea. The guitar work is once again brilliant and as a fellow guitar player I can truly say that these guys are talented! The song is beyond talented even before tom kicks in with his vocals. So, needless to say when they did....I was once again floored. 5/5

9. Madness Caught Another Victim: A beautiful, slow, mellow and short acoustic song. Lyrics that seem to reflect one of a man who is helpless and hopelessness looking for somebody to make this world a better place. The wonderful use of acoustics here are placed perfectly. 5/5

10. Your Darkest Hour: In my eyes, this song is what love is all about! "I would hold you when you're sleeping
I would guide you when you're drifting
I'd be the light you seek in your darkest hour

I will show you how to leave it
Out of the darkness & into the light
Leave it
I will show you how to leave it
To find a new day & a vision in bright" Beautiful and poetic lyrics about being there for your loved ones. The most motivating chorus I have heard in a long time. Mellow keyboards also play a major role here. One of the best here. 10/5

11. Unforgivable: A song that again, brought tears to my eys when I heard it for its sheer truth and emotion. A song about how the ones we loved have commited unforgivable sings either in their now or past and how it effects how we feel and see them. Something I relate to quite well right now. A brilliant closing song. I love how it ends just how it started, full of power and strength. 5/5

To end this, should you buy this? Only if you love real metal, real emotion and real truth. An album full of sadness, sorrow and a morbid deformed version of what you may call hope. Enjoy.

1 step at the time
Small progess seems futile
But is as valuable as life
I'm engaged to longing
With sorrow as the ring
Controlling me, denying me
My every mourning is in every way
The beginning of a recreation day
Time heals, but still the mourning reigns
I still breath when the loss reminds me again
I am here
Life is fear & sorrow's all I know
Am I in dept cause so it seems
But what I owe
I don't know
Devoured by guilt & cursed beyond control
My every morning is in every way
The beginning of a recreation day


"Recreation Day" - Evergrey

What can I say about Evergrey? They rock (as cliche as that sounds). Evergrey is one of those bands that proves that metal will never die. I read in an interview that this album was written for live performances. Result; high energy, fast paced songs, shredding guitar solos, and slightly less technicallity than previous releases. This is the dark side of metal. I would argue that this one sounds less dark than ISOT, but it is still dark sounding. They use powerful guitars and haunting keyboards, which are the drivers of the music. Tom Englund is one of the most emotional singers in the genre. His voice brings you into another world, where emotions are all that matters. If you have not heard him, he has a mid-range voice. Not real high, not real low. His voice is also very raspy sounding, but it fits the music perfectly. The lyrics are very well thought out. This is not a concept album, but the theme is about death. It is about all the emotions and thoughts that a person, who has lived a life of abuse, goes through whenever the abuser dies (that is my take on it anyways).

I would strongly urge anyone who appreciates not only prog, but metal in general to check Evergrey out. I would recommend that you start with this one, then if you like it, purchase the other three. Every one is great.

Normally that raspy "my god, cough already" voice bugs the crap out of me, but the vocalist of Evergrey (sorry I don't know his name offhand) is simply sensational. It mixes with the music so well. It has that angry yet soft and vulnerable sound to it and the composition of this album is so strong that everything is simply in balance. So few power metal/symphonic rock, prog. bands manage to pull this off. Evergrey does it phenomenally so definately check this out!!

The first time i heard "great deciever" i thought i was listening to a band from the 80s, when rock and roll was in its prime. But to my surprise i was hearing a very new recording. It is rare to find a band now-a-days that has good guitar solos, much less guitar solos period. I am overjoyed that a band finally went back to the days when real rock bands made real rock songs. Plus, evergrey is from the metal capitol of the world - Sweden. Even though this type of music may be a turn-off for some people who listen to constipation rock (bands like creed and seether) if u give this cd a shot i guarantee a solid hour of pure enjoyment. My favorite song of the cd is the title track "recreation day".

This is the Evergrey album I've been waiting for. I've enjoyed their previous three albums, but never really been *hooked* by them. Despite my love of Tom Englund's amazing voice and the allure of their dark, progmetal-tinged sound, I suppose there was always an ineffable something missing. Whatever that "something" was they got it here.

While Evergrey shares characteristics with the metal prog sound, they retain a dark, doom-tinged focus that keeps them from sounding juvenile and cheesy. New keyboardist Rikard Zander's contribution is excellent and complies with their ethic: no synth solos, just dark patches that fill pockets of space between the splintered, staccato guitar riffs. Abundant haunting pianos complement the band's dark atmosphere. On the guitar front, Evergrey is very metal. Spasmic, scattershot riffs, complexly melodic guitar harmonies, and crackling guitar solos (some so melodic and beautiful they sound like Steve Rothery doing metal). Lyrics, mainly about death and unhappy things, are emotionally rendered and awesomely sung.

Indeed, this is a talented group, but the one that will always stand out is guitarist/vocalist Tom Englund. His voice gives me shivers. His mid-ranged throaty singing own3z any high-ranged prog metal singer. His raw, unhinged growls ... and sense of bold, persuasive emotional drama knows few peers, and his performances are powerfully complemented by the crushing temblor of the band's metal juggernaut. Further enhancing his vocal presence (aside from the added time spent carefully recording vocals), the vocal harmonies on this album are astounding. Whether arranged with female vocalist Carina (who also delivers a mesmerizing solo on the interlude of "Your Darkest Hour") or the church choir on "Fragments" and "The Great Deceiver" -- sounding like ancient Roman plain chant -- this added vocal presence adds to the album's overall power.

Highlights for me are the epic title track, the acoustic guitar ballad "Madness Caught Another Victim" (awesome vocals -- Englund really shines with little backup instrumentation), the seismic metal of "As I Lie Here Bleeding", the bonus track, and...bleh, it's all good. "Unforgivable" is also interesting for its lyrics addressing sexual abuse (presumably) in the Catholic church. Powerful.

ABSOLUTELY GET THE LIMITED EDITION IF YOU CAN. It features an ESSENTIAL bonus track taken from the Japanese edition of _In Search of Truth_. It is "Trilogy of the Damned", a nine-minute epic of Englund's voice and beautiful piano. The only other instrument is a brief but beautiful guitar solo on the second part. Plus, the packaging is darn nice -- nice digibook ... Inside Out keeps raising the bar on their packaging.

Well I got me a limited edition copy of Recreation Day by Evergrey. And here I am sharing my thoughts on it.
First of all... I must say that the production on this CD is astounding! It's crisp and clear and it sounds AWESOME in the
stereo of a newer car. Freakin awesome! Second of all... I must
mention that Tom S Englund's vocals are superior. I love them!
The songs on this album are dark and goth-esque. But very
melodic and gorgeous. The music is beautiful... pure raw emotion. The lyrics aren't anything too clever - but they fit.
And most of the songs follow the same idea and songwriting of rich melodic gutiar-driven metal - except for acoustic piece
Madness Caught Another Victim, Ballads I'm Sorry and Trilogy
of the Damned, and the surprisingly unique METAL song on this album known as Your Darkest Hour which even has female guest
vocals. My favorite song on this album is probably UNFORGIVABLE... but everyone knows that that's a great tune!
I recommend anybody into melodic metal or progressive metal
to buy this album.

What can I say about Evergrey.. I am totally into them since In Search Of Truth... That was an excellent album and now Recreation Day??? Gives the listener a fresh breath of air. Every song stands out on its own... From the opener The Great Deceiver to the last song.. Every song is well crafted... Well done Evergrey!!! Suprb album!! I will embraced this one for a long time..... Look out for their new album in Spring 2004...
Fans of Progressive Metal will rejoice again!!!