Evergrey's sound is intact, but Glorious Collision finds the Swedes with a newfound spark and some of the best songwriting they've done in years. The songs are relatively straightforward, but hold up extremely well. I've had the album for a couple of months, and after multiple listens can attest to the catchiness of many of the tracks. The keyboards are also more prominent than on the past few albums, not surprising since Zander had a much bigger part of the songwriting than usual.
While much of Glorious Collision is compact and focused, “You” shows the band's more expansive side. It's the longest song, at over 6 minues, and allows time for instrumental breaks and solos in addition to plenty of melody and bombast. The 13 tracks are very consistent in terms of quality, but a few stand out even more. “Frozen” is intense and powerful, but also dynamic with a sing-along chorus.
“The Phantom Letters” is another standout. From an acoustic beginning it slowly builds, and has layers of atmosphere and harmony before eventually kicking in. England's vocals on this album are as potent as ever. He has a distinctive and powerful voice, and delivers the lyrics with even more conviction and passion. My personal favorite song on this CD is “Free,” a ballad that's extremely catchy and also has a poignant message.
When you put everything together: memorable songs, good musicianship, great vocals and subtle touches and dynamics that are revealed with multiple listens, you end up with an outstanding result. Glorious Collision is a strong message from Evergrey that even after (and maybe because of) their recent upheaval, they remain a potent force.
(released February 22, 2011 on SPV Records)
