Review Summary: A considerable step in the right direction even if it isn’t enough to reconcile with older fans.
Persistence is the first word that comes to mind while writing this review as I know I’m at risk that it could turn out to be another one of my signature calamities, you know, since the Anglo-Saxon ranks as my third linguistic skill/knowledge, the first being the Hispano-American. That already sounded anomalous to me… damn I did it again, you see? Turns out, the new Evans Blue album has an analogous problematic as mine. Being their fourth album, in detail, it is the second release off their second era with Dan Chandler.
Going back to my point it is safe to say (on this site of the internets) that their last effort was a complete waste of time, space and plastic, in other words, it was mostly rubbish for two basic reasons: Kevin Matisyn, the author for their name, was kicked out and the songs were exaggeratedly conventional in the sense that neither the vocals, the composition and the instrumental section were self-sacrificing. As with this “writer”, the remaining EB acknowledge the risk and yet Graveyard of Empires was crafted seemly with a different mindset.
Now I’m thinking- “Ok, I guess I proved my point, now I must follow with the songs.”- So I press play to re-capture some details while I recollect my thoughts.
This Time It´s Different – The song pisses all over my face and, as I already heard the album I construe the title as “Hey, I have my junk out as before but the rest will be different I swear”. 1/5
Crawl Inside – It improves vastly from anything they’ve done and the lyrics are pretty good. The song is heavy with background screaming and a very spacey sound, the middle section particularly is very intriguing having a slow melodic guitar riff followed by distortion and then a very short guitar solo. 3.5/5
Thank You – In general, it is a very heavy song with pronounced breakdowns and it turns more emotional as it progresses. It’s worth noting that there is a gang-like screaming which only adds to the already impressive chorus. It’s absolutely one of their best. 5/5
Beyond The Stars – Like Crawl Inside, it is another hard rocker with an electronic piece that builds up to the chorus. What separates this from the before mentioned is that the guitar solo is lengthier and sounds more tuneful and the outro is a lot more substantial, it leads to the title track. 4/5
Graveyard of Empires – Ok, at this point I already ask myself if I’m listening to the same band, the album goes in an incredible crescendo to what is the only instrumental piece. I could rate this as it is an actual orchestral song but I will limit myself to say that it works and it serves as a good transition for the remaining songs.
Alone Not Lonely – It’s more alternative than anything, I find it to be as accessible as most of Red’s catalogue, from the chorus to the piano segment it resembles that band a lot. 3.5/5
In The Shadows – Slower than anything before and it partakes a mysterious, maybe theatrical feel but it doesn’t work well, the effort of trying something different and darker is appreciated though. 3/5
Live To Die – Now I’m starting to get bored but as I drink my coffee I find the guitar line in the verse pretty cool, other than that I was expecting for it to ignite in the bridge but never does and ends up being an average song. 2.5/5
Destroy the Obvious – At this moment I find myself expecting another kick ass song like Thank You and even if this song tries to do that with a very heavy riffing, Dan Chandler’s voice at this moment I reiterate, feels like when you have a tight boxer that you wear all day and you just have to take it off cause your balls are the size of tangerines (talking about my ears here…). 2/5
Warrior – Without much introduction the piano kicks in along with the drums and vocals with the lines “I would like a word with you, kind and justified…” giving what seems to be the only ballad of the album. I´ll commend (for the sake of it) the solo breakdown that any soft song needs and the piano at the end sounds good but overall it doesn’t reach any emotional heights and the lyrics are very clichéd. 2/5
Underwater – Following the soft pace of Warrior the song kicks in to what seems to be one of the better songs of the whole, it is very energetic and the lyrics are very catchy. 3/5
Halo – The last song ends up the album very well, it is also the second single and unlike This Time It’s Different, I can see why. It landscapes the heaviness and the atmospheric vibe that made the first songs so good and the middle section comprises strings followed by a great breakdown with another guitar solo, there is also a bell sound throughout and beast screams that closes Graveyard of Empires with a punch. 4/5
-"The album ends, so I'll get ready to go out while I play something else, maybe Bob Dylan or Def Leppard to balance my tastes of old and new rock but damn I have to write something more, like an overall thought, right?"-
While their self titled was a solid 2 for me, maybe I have outgrown the fact that the original vocalist is in Parabelle and that now we have sort of a Breaking Chand…Benjamin here. Right now at least, I can only look back at their last effort and not Pursuit which makes it easier to assess, and comparing to only that one, there’s a considerable step in the right direction even if it isn’t enough to reconcile with older fans.
-"Screw that hasty line, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V... I'm out "-
