EVERGREY // “A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)” // Album Review

Often billed as Gothenburg’s finest purveyors of darkness, Sweden’s ever forward-progressing Evergrey delivers up a slice of surprisingly optimistic and operatic prog/power metal on the thirteenth opus entitled; A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament).

Helmed by the silky smooth and indefatigable lead vocals of frontman and guitarist Tom Englund, tracks ‘Midwinter Calls’ and lead single ‘Save Us’ showcase heartfelt and sincere lyricism, along with virtuosic instrumental work.

With a glistening production and mastering job generating a consistently bright sound for the album, tracks unfortunately seldom differ from one another, following generally predictable structural patterns and delivery. However, there is comfort in the seeming familiarity as Englund is able to deliver soaring choruses worthy of applause on album highlights ‘Save Us’ and ‘Ominous’.

The final track ‘Wildfire’ is perhaps the ultimate highlight and indeed a memorable finale, featuring a dreamy Roger Water’s esque bass tone accompanying sorrowful keys to wrap up a truly melancholic closing ballad.

Undoubtedly fans of the band will rejoice in this latest work, which sees the band at the pinnacle of their sonic fidelity on a well-rounded if not groundbreaking offering which, regardless of lack of ingenuity is packed to the rafters with impassioned shredding solos and choral leads.

Releasing on May 20th, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) is available through Napalm Records.

A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) tracklisting:
1. Save Us
2. Midwinter Calls
3. Ominous
4. Call Out the Dark
5. The Orphean Testament
6. Reawakening
7. The Great Unwashed
8. Heartless
9. Blindfolded
10.Wildfires

A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) will be available in the following formats:
Deluxe Box (incl. Canvas, Pendant, Liner Notes on Pergament Paper) – limited to 500 copies worldwide
2LP Gatefold “Die Hard” Marbled Red/Black (incl. Slipmat + 7inch (black) w/ 2 exclusive Bonus Tracks) – limited to 500 copies worldwide
2LP Gatefold Glow in the Dark – limited to 500 copies worldwide
2LP Gatefold Black
2LP Gatefold Gold – Band exclusive, limited to 300 copies worldwide
CD Digisleeve
Digital Album

[Deluxe Box (incl. Canvas, Pendant, Liner Notes on Pergament Paper) – limited to 500 copies worldwide]

A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) is a striking testament to the fact that while the Swedish five-piece doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone at this phase, they still impressively showcase that, after over 25 years of existence, their creativity sees no bounds – dropping yet another sensation within their impressive catalog!

EVERGREY live:
Fans can look forward to seeing EVERGREY live, as in 2022, the powerhouse will go on an extensive tour through Europe!

EVERGREY – European Tour 2022
+ special guest: Fractal Universe
+ Virtual Symmetry
16.09.22 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo
17.09.22 GB – London / 229 venue
18.09.22 GB – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms
19.09.22 GB – Bristol / Thekla
20.09.22 GB – Manchester / Academy 3
21.09.22 IE – Dublin / Voodoo Lounge
22.09.22 GB – Glasgow / Cathouse
23.09.22 GB – Newcastle / St Dom’s Social Club
24.09.22 GB – Birmingham / The Asylum 2
25.09.22 NL – Leiden / Gebr. De Nobel
27.09.22 DE – Bremen / Tivoli
28.09.22 DE – Stuttgart / Im Wizemann Club
29.09.22 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater
30.09.22 DE – Hamburg / Bahnhof Pauli
01.10.22 DE – Oberhausen / Resonanzwerk
02.10.22 DE – Lindau / Club Vaudeville
03.10.22 FR – Colmar / Le Grillen
04.10.22 DE – München / Backstage Halle
05.10.22 DE – Hannover / Faust
06.10.22 DE – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal
07.10.22 BE – Vosselaar / Biebob
08.10.22 DE – Mannheim / 7er Club
09.10.22 SI – Ljubljana / Orto Bar
11.10.22 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
12.10.22 AT – Graz / Dom im Berg
13.10.22 PL – Wroclaw / Akademia
14.10.22 AT – Wien / Viper Room
15.10.22 DE – Nürnberg / Hirsch
16.10.22 DE – Trier / Mergener Hof
17.10.22 CH – Luzern / Schüür
18.10.22 FR – Lyon / CCO Villeurbanne
19.10.22 ES – Barcelona / Boveda
20.10.22 ES – Madrid / Shoko
21.10.22 ES – Pamplona / Totem
22.10.22 FR – Toulouse / L’Usine
23.10.22 FR – Paris / Petit Bain