Hi there! For the last weeks I worked hard on my first review for Metal Archives. In fact, it is my first review at all! It was really hard, because I'm a little perfectionist. First I wrote it in German, then translated it to English, which was also challenging because I'm no English native speaker. I tried to be factual and decent, checked all the vocabulary, used a spell checker. I talk about other albums this album reminds me of. I talk about how the band members generally perform, the genre where it fits in, the album's production, the lyrical content.
BUT: I have to admit that I did not read your review rules before I began writing. So I fear, I bend (if not break) one of them: I added a track-by-track part at the review's end.
Usually it would never come to my mind to do a track-by-track review for the obvious reason: They tend to be totally boring. But let me tell you why, in this case, it felt completely natural for me to do so: I'm a heavy metal fan for over 30 years now and, I guess, I listened to more than 5,000 albums from all metal genres up to now. And, of course, I listened to all the "older" classics out there: Priest, Maiden, Motörhead, Manowar, Metallica, Slayer, Sabbath, Saxon, Accept, Running wild. And the "newer classics", too: Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, Primal Fear, Iron Savior, Night Demon, Visigoth, and so on. And yes, there are some albums (maybe 10-20) where I can say: They are almost completely packed full of very good songs or even hits. But only one or two of those albums have been released in the last 20 years. And then, 2013, Evertale released their debut album and I was stunned with my mouth open! Three vocalists, good lyrics, a superb production and, most important, great songs. No song is like the other. They are varied and full of details, which includes changing tempo, changing mood, changing atmosphere. I know, music is always a matter of taste, but even after hundreds of run-throughs this album does not bore me. It's crazy! There are two songs that are none of my favorites, but the rest is very good or even a hit and I just felt the urge to explain why (in my opinion) these songs are so good. And therefore I also added a track-by-track part to my review. I just do not know how I should describe this album's quality and variety without using the songs as concrete examples. I know, for most albums a track-by-track review just doesn't fit, but I hope in this special case you share my opinion!
Now, here it is:
------------------------------------------------------------- Holy shit! What the hell is that? Sounds like Blind Guardian when they were at their best! Something like that shot to my mind when I first listened to "Of Dragons and Elves". And the comparison to Blind Guardian is definitely meant as a compliment! I love their albums from the late 80s to the early 2000s, especially the phase "Tales from the Twilight World" / "Somewhere far beyond" / "Imaginations from the other Side". And that is exactly what Evertale's debut album reminds me of. Unconventional verse structure, great melodies and catchy choruses, strong and rough vocals from main vocalist/guitarist Matthias Graf, who gets considerable backing vocal support from his colleagues Marco Bächle (Bass) und Matthias "Woody" Holzapfel (lead guitars) on many occasions during the album. Especially Marco Bächle stands out in this - on this recording as well as at the live front. And last but not least drummer Martin Schumacher does not have to stand back behind his colleagues and is laying a solid foundation to this masterpiece.
The genre in which this album moves is "Melodic Power Metal", I guess. There are some orchestral parts, too, but they are mainly used for the short instrumentals and can barely be noticed in the real songs (with a few exceptions... but more of that later). Regardless of that the album is dominated by fast-paced Power Metal, fantastic melodies and massive choruses. But this does not mean that these guys keep their foot on the accelerator pedal the whole time: There are some mid-tempo songs and even the fast songs have their little breathers from time to time. So surely you won't suffer from boredom here.
I guess, we have some fantasy fans and/or role-players in the band, because for the lyrical content they got inspired by the Dragonlance Chronicles, a classic of fantasy literature. I know what you think: Boring concept album! But don't worry, there is no strict concept; they got only inspired by the books. The songs are truly varied and the album's flow never feels to be forced into the corset of a concept. Furthermore, the lyrics/vocals often change perspective/protagonists which is expressed very well by the different vocalists in the band. That keeps the lyrics really interesting and you will feel the need to go to your favourite lyrics site (Metal Archives, of course) for all the details. Or just buy the album, guys! You won't regret it.
What can I say about the album's production? Well, just my highly subjective non-professional opinion after 30 years of Heavy Metal experience: The album sounds great to me! All instruments and vocals are well balanced and can be heard clearly, a fact which is really essential in this genre with all its bombast and tiny details.
But now to most important thing of all: The songs! When I rate songs I like to classify them into five categories: "Fillers", "nothing for me", "OK", "very good" and "hit". And when I say hit, I mean it! You know that kind of songs that you have to hear over and over again: "The Trooper", "Painkiller", "Ace of Spades", "Hail and kill", "Black Hand Inn", ... you just get addicted! Here we go:
01. Paladine's Embrace (1:24): An epic orchestral intro that directly clings into your ears. Very good. By the way: Paladine is the main deity of Krynn's Pantheon. 02. In the Sign of the valiant Warrior (5:12): Fast-paced beginning, great chorus, some tempo variations in the middle, awesome ending. Very good! 03. Tale of the Everman (9:06): Unconventional Song with much lyrical content. Epic mighty stomping entry with some spoken words. Down-tuned guitars. A long chorus followed by an orchestral part with canon-like vocals from the different vocalists. Fast solo in the middle! Mighty stomping again at the end. A Song you have to work into. Very good. 04. Into the Dragon's Lair (5:26): The mid-tempo guitars at the beginning try to deceive you for some seconds until the vocals start with the great (and fast!) chorus about the black dragon Khisanth. The chorus gets slightly varied throughout the song, which is quite interesting. Tempo changes, vocalist changes, speed solo, slow solo, and then full throttle into the final chorus. A diversified song with (again) interesting lyrics. Very good. 05. Of Dragons and Elves (4:01): Acoustic guitars, some orchestra, multi-vocals. Short bombast outburst in the middle. A nice ballad in the way of "In the Forest". Very good. 06. Elventwilight (5:48): A quite varied mid-tempo song with good melodies and much lyrical content again. Unfortunately this one is not thrilling enough for my taste, despite the nice chorus, and thus I rate it "just OK". 07. As Tarsis falls (7:03): A song about the burning of the city of Tarsis. Mainly in mid-tempo, except the powerful multi-vocal chorus which is much faster. A longer instrumental part in the middle, then chorus, fast solo, slow solo (with a great melody!) and another chorus, this time much slower. A sad acoustic outro finishes this epic song that despite of its seven minutes running time always stays intresting. A stirring story, many multi-vocalist parts, great melodies... Bow to the Might of the Dragonlord or die! 08. My Honor is my Life (1:43): With this short instrumental breather we start into four songs about the Knights of Solamnia. It starts with acoustic guitars, no orchestra this time. Then the electric guitars set in and the quite sad atmosphere changes to a more defiant one. A good transition into the next song. Very good. 09. The Crownguard's Quest (6:12): Now the hits are coming, guys! An energetic song, somewhere in the upper mid-tempo, about the beginning insanity of Derek Crownguard. The first (long) verse is followed by a great pre-chorus which finally leads to the gigantic chorus (2x). Then another long verse, pre-chorus, chorus (2x). A solo with great melodies, verse, chorus, done. Flawless victory! Many tempo changes, the best parts get repeated some times (but not too often), and we have an extremely catchy sing-along-chorus for the live gigs. Intresting lyrics, changing atmosphere, an instant classic! 10. The last Knight (7:46): A great mid-tempo melody at the beginning, then it gets fast! Great bridge, pre-chorus, chorus, whatever. They are not so easy to separate this time. These really cool parts get repeated in different order. Quite energetic. Then a solo... and a sudden stop! An acoustic guitar play sets in with yet another great melody and fantastic multi-vocals, climaxed by an epic electric part with Matthias Graf's best vocal performance on the entire album (imho). Highly emotional part this one (Sturm's Sacrifice!). Then the final chorus and we're done. My favorite song on the album. 11. Sturm's Funeral March (1:59): After his sacrifice Sturm Brightblade gets a funeral with electric guitars and orchestra. Very good. 12. Firestorm (5:52): Fast. Very fast. Great verses, great bridge, great chorus. A positive and defiant atmosphere, very welcome after the more tragic parts about the Knights. Up-tempo solo, great emotions in the last verse (goosebumps!), chorus, solo, wow! Another hit that leaves us breathless and full of adrenalin. 13. Brothers in War (Forever damned) (7:49): An epic about the brothers Majere and their love-hate relationship. The acoustic intro leads us directly to the sing-along bridge. Most parts of the lyrics are performed again by all the bands vocalists and for the brothers' dialogue the band won Ralf Scheepers for a great contribution as Raistlin. A catchy chorus and a short solo get us to epic mid-tempo stomping part with downtuned guitars. The arrangement of the lyrics in the next verse (again a dialogue between the brothers) is really awesome. Chorus, solo, stomping part again, and a long finale with bridge and chorus repetition. An epic Hit! 14. The final Page (7:51): This last song is the only one where the orchestral parts stand out noticeably. Mainly in mid-tempo. Nice bridge, nice chorus. Not bad at all, but none of my favorites on this album. But because the album ends as it has begun, to the grand melody of "Paladine's Embrace", this song is absolutely OK for me. 15. Dragonriders (5:21): This one has nothing to do with the Dragonlance context and thus it has just been released as a download bonus only. Intense ballad inspired by the Eragon story. Acoustic guitars and great vocals at the beginning lead us to a fantastic chorus. Then the electric guitars set in and the following verse & chorus are far more energetic. Goosebumps! - Great melodies, great emotions. Very good!
That's it. 15 Songs, 12 without the instrumentals. And of that (for me) five songs are hits and five are very good. 64 minutes of excellent music! How long has it been that we had such an album? In the last 20 years one had to be pleased with five hits PER YEAR on all released albums! True: The album is quite long and some may criticize that. Not me. You don't like one or another of the songs? So what? Just skip it!
You like Power Metal? You're fed off with that superficial party metal bullshit? Then you will love this album! -------------------------------------------------------------
Have mercy and don't rip the heart out of my first review!
Regards, orloff2000
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