The album consists of live recordings, demo versions, alternative versions and rough mixes. Taking some of their biggest hits from the past to now and giving them a bit of a different coat of paint. I think there could have been more variety here, for example their song “Call Out The Dark” appears three times on this anniversary album. Don’t get me wrong. Fantastic song, but I would have liked more range in material. Despite that, I think is a decent collection for a 30th Anniversary. The live songs are well produced and really give you the sense of scale of an Evergrey concert. The piano/vocal versions are beautifully composed rearrangements of their songs. The rough cuts are a great insight to how the band formulates and creates their iconic sound.
If you associate anything with Evergrey, it’s their commanding and haunting presence, the well-crafted composition and the larger than life performances. I think each part of this anniversary album has it’s place and goes a long way in celebrating everything the band bring to the table in the music industry. My favourite parts of this album are the piano/vocal versions of the songs from A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament). In particularly, the alternative version of “Save Us”. I think the themes of despair and hopelessness that song has really come through in this new stripped back and more melancholy version of the song. It’s interesting how a simple rearrangement and stripping the heavier elements really gives the song a new lease on life.
I think the rough cuts are interesting too. This early stage sound of the band shows the listener the raw power and intensity of the band. Even in this raw unfiltered stage, Evergrey sound absolutely fantastic. Their talent on full display. Then when you hear the demo version of “A Silent Arc”, from their album The Atlantic. The brutal power of the full band on display with no vocals allows the melody in the production to really shine. The Atlantic is up there as one of my favourite Evergrey albums so it was incredible to hear it represented on this album.
I love this band so much. They’ve made some truly incredible music throughout their career. What’s more, they show absolutely no sign of slowing down anytime soon. They have more music to come and I couldn’t be more excited! This 30th anniversary release is a firm marker that they’ve made it to this milestone as a band. It’s been a career filled with incredible music and insanely great live shows. I think this compilation record works quite well. It’s something for the fans to enjoy and look back on fondly. It makes for an interesting fan collectors item that can stand amongst the collection in Evergrey's repertoire. I will continue to follow this band and I look forward to the next 30 years!