Has it been THAT long since I've heard a metal band with a vocalist who could actually SING, that I am so stunned by Tom Englund's voice, or is it simply that he's just THAT good? I've recently been inundated with 'prog-rock' and 'power metal'- for the most part, they sacrificed musicianship for technical prowess and showmanship. Not so, here. Evergrey's music hearkens back to the metal I remember listening to when I was younger. Rarely does a band/album come along that epitomizes the "art" in music, but Evergrey has accomplished this feat.

Hailing from the home of melodic heavy metal, Gothenburg, Sweden, Recreation Day is Evergrey's fourth album. There's a distinct doom-and-gloom look and feel to Recreation Day. Their sounds vary from progressive and fast-paced ("The Great Deceiver," "Visions"), to melodic and dreamy ("Recreation Day," "Your Darkest Hour") and even an acoustic, almost bluesy track ("Madness Caught Another Victim"). There are times when the instrumentation is more memorable than the lyrics ("Blinded"), but times when the lyrics themselves stand out:

"I am your hesitation / When you wander in circles / The hand you reach for / When no one's there." - "The Great Deceiver"
"I am engaged to longing / With sorrow as the ring." - "Recreation Day"
"I painted a picture of you / Your soul was red and your mind was blue / Destiny laid a light on my creation." - "I'm Sorry"

I could easily picture some of the tracks off this album making their way onto the score of movies such as The Crow or the upcoming Underworld. I debate whether I should listen to this CD, muted, as I drift off to sleep, or if I should crank it in the car on a road trip. Either way, this CD is definitely getting some play.

www.evergrey.net