INNER CIRCLE
Inner Circle is the fifth album from the Swedish metal band EVERGREY. These guys put a lot of hard work and a lot of thought into the concept and music of this album. This is the second concept album from Evergrey, and this time it deals with blind religion, more specifically, religious cults and extremists. The message that the songs hold is incredibly strong, which can be a good and bad thing all at once, especially since religion is something that people take very seriously, even atheists are very adamant and headstrong about their views (or lack there of) on god.
The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up this CD is the cover artwork. It’s the above picture, of a small child’s hand in an adult’s hand within the center of a human eye. The cover itself can be taken in quite a few different ways but Mike already explained as best he could what the message is. The band got the idea of doing a concept album centering on the corruption of religious cults during the making of their last release Recreation Day. Unfortunately though, when they came up with the idea, it was already too late to change the whole album around, so they decided to wait it out and do some research before they started making an album that would bring out some very serious accusations. However, there is a small taste of what
Inner Circle has to say on
Recreation Day in the song “Unforgivable.” This song centers on the cases of child molestation that was going on in Catholic churches.
This CD has 10 tracks, and each one is a valuable part of the overall story that they are trying to tell. This is the story of a man who is convinced by a cult to follow them and their ways. The main struggle in the story is him trying to convince his family that it’s the right thing to do and that the cult is what he’s been looking for his whole life. The album tells the story from a few different points of view. Some songs are very raw and heavy, others are slower and more mellow, showing suffering or confusion. Each one is different in it’s own way and showcases the vast ability of each of the 5 musicians in the band. The final track “When the Walls Go Down” is truly a work of art, there are no real vocals on it, only sound clips of someone speaking. It’s a bit unconventional but it works out great and sounds incredible. The music goes along with the flow of the man’s feelings through the song. The song is extremely powerful and is my personal favorite on the CD, along with a few others that come to mind such as “A Touch of Blessing,” “Harmless Wishes,” and “More Than Ever.” If you’ve been a longtime Evergrey fan, then you NEED this album, and if it’s your first taste of these guys, you will NOT be disappointed.
