Evergrey – Architects Of A New Weave

Written by on 01-08-2026 at 09:03.

Evergrey, founded in 1993, only came on my radar a few years ago as my musical tastes broadened. It will have been around the time of the release of Escape The Phoenix (2021). A year later the even stronger A Heartless Portrait followed, and in 2024 the equally enjoyable Theories Of Emptiness. That last album took a few spins before it really clicked, but once it did, it proved to be another remarkably well-crafted record. Needless to say, I was eager to hear Architects Of A New Weave, once again released through Napalm Records. With this, the band has reached an impressive milestone: studio album number fifteen. Quite an achievement in itself. Unfortunately, drummer Jonas Ekdahl and guitarist Henrik Danhage have departed the band, with Simen Sandnes (drums) and Stephen Platt (guitar) stepping in as their replacements.

This time around, however, things don’t come together quite as effortlessly as on the band’s previous releases. Opener The Shadow Self gets off to a blistering start, delivering the trademark infectious guitar riffs and memorable vocal melodies that make Evergrey instantly recognisable. It’s inspired and fiery, something that, I must conclude after repeated listens spread over a considerable period of time, is ultimately missing on most of the album. The World On Fire, The Script, and Call Of Your Lions all feature arrangements that are easy to latch onto, but from a technical perspective they simply coast along without ever truly igniting. With most songs clocking in at four minutes or more, that’s not something you can get away with throughout an entire album. Architects Of A New Weave also includes tracks such as Heaven, Chains Of Shame and the single Leaving The Emptiness, which are all perfectly enjoyable at their core but ultimately play it too safe. A slightly heavier passage here and there could have elevated them to the next level. Finding that perfect balance between melody and heaviness is something Evergrey has always excelled at, yet it’s heard all too sparingly on this record.

Architects Of A New Weave certainly has a pleasant atmosphere. That’s something you can almost always count on with the gentlemen of Evergrey. The album is an easy listen and offers a fair share of enjoyable moments along the way. Still, “a fair share of enjoyable moments” feels like faint praise for a band of Evergrey‘s calibre. Perhaps the arrival of two new members has forced the band to find its footing again, and it’s only a matter of time before we witness another display of Swedish progressive metal brilliance. Architects Of A New Weave may not rank among the strongest releases in the band’s catalogue, but we’ll certainly continue to follow Evergrey closely and I’m sure plenty of progressive metal fans will do the same.

Score:

68/100

Label:

Napalm Records, 2026

Tracklisting:

  1. Welcome To The Pattern
  2. The Shadow Self
  3. Architects Of A New Weave
  4. The World Is On Fire
  5. Heaven
  6. The Script
  7. Leaving The Emptiness
  8. Longing
  9. A Burning Flame
  10. Call Off Your Lions
  11. Chains Of Same
  12. The Prophecy

Line-up:

  • Tom S. Englund – Vocals, guitar
  • Stephen Platt – Guitar
  • Rikard Zander – Keyboards
  • Simen Sandnes – Drums
  • Johan Niemann – Bass guitar

Links: