Evership -
The Uncrowned King, Act 1


(CD 2021, 60:40, Atkinsong Productions LLC)

The tracks:
  1- The Pilgrimage(10:38)
         - i. Desert Of Facts
         - ii. The Temple Of Truth
         - iii. The Quiet Room
  2- The Voice Of The Waves(3:08)
  3- a) Crownshine / (b) Allthetime(10:50)
  4- The Tower(9:47)
  5- The Voice Of The Evening Wind(4:23)
  6- a) Yettocome / (b) Itmightbe(16:42)
  7- Wait(5:12)

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Website info. “The Uncrowned King Act 1 a two-part rock opera based on a story by early-1900s writer Harold Bell Wright. The album was recorded directly to a Studer two-inch tape machine through an early 70's Harrison console. Harrison consoles are manufactured in Nashville, USA. In fact, Shane worked on building some Harrison consoles in his early music career when not on the road. This particular model was the same used to record Kansas' Leftoverture in Louisianna. The actual console we're recording through was used by Styx for their first album, as well as many of Johnny Cash's records and a slew of other 70's and 80's pop and country artists. Ah, the sweet sound of analog is always amazing!”

Well, talking about analog, this album sounds like a tribute to the heyday of 'progressive melodic rock bands', the so called AOR, in the Seventies and Eighties. Like Kansas featuring vintage keyboards (Hammond, Minimoog and Mellotron) and acoustic guitars in the dynamic The Pilgrimage. Like Styx with the distinctive cheerful Minimoog flights and fiery guitar in The Tower. And like Journey with Steve Perry inspired vocals and a typical AOR ballad atmosphere in the epic Yettocome- Itmightbe. The music is very melodic and harmonic with flowing shifting moods, topped with pleasant work on keyboards and guitar, strong vocals and a dynamic rhythm-section.

But Evership has more to offer. The short tracks The Voice Of The Waves and The Voice Of The Evening Wind contain ambient electronic musical landscapes, pretty atmospheric with spacey keyboards. And the final song Wait is a fine ballad featuring a catchy riff on piano, mellow vocals and halfway, moving guitar work.
The most alternating and elaborate composition is Crownshine - Allthetime (close to 11 minutes). It starts in a bombastic climate with fat Minimoog runs and propulsive rock guitar riffs. Then lots of changing atmospheres, between mellow and sumptuous, embellished with Minimoog flights, phaser guitar, fiery guitar leads, Mellotron choir, The Charles Heimermann choir, and powerful vocals.

Evership its music is beyond original but it sounds very pleasant, especially if you like Seventies and Eighties Kansas, Styx and Journey.

***+ Erik Neuteboom (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen)

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