Grey Days In Gothenburg
Evergrey have been bridging the gap between progressive music and power metal since 1993. To celebrate their belated 30th anniversary and the release of new album Theories Of Emptiness, Prog flew to Gothenburg to meet the band. There, keyboardist Rikard Zander and guitarist Henrik Danhage gave us a guided tour of their hometown and revealed the important role it’s played in their success.
Words: Matt Mills Portraits: Patric Ullaeus
Evergrey celebrate 30-plus years of nights to remember.
“Dream Theater were a huge influence on Tom’s vision. When I heard Dream Theater for the first time, it was like, ‘Oh, they listen to all my heroes – Marillion, Queensrÿche, Metallica – and put them together.’”
Rikard Zander
It’s just gone 10:30am when Prog sees Evergrey keyboardist Rikard Zander outside our hotel in Gothenburg. The tall, dark-haired and black-clothed musician has met us in the centre of his hometown to give us a tour of the city, the Evergrey way. While most visitors to this gorgeous hub of south-western Sweden spend time at Liseberg, a theme park, or Slottsskogen park, our itinerary is entirely different. Evergrey have been offering progressive power metal from here for 31 years as of 2024, and today we’ll be seeing the sights that have mattered most to them over the course of their career.
Zander’s first gesture upon meeting us is to lift one of his long arms to the left. “Have you ever seen our live album, A Night To Remember?” the musician asks as we begin to walk in the direction he was just pointing.
Latest album Theories Of Emptiness.
Like many Evergrey releases of the early-to-mid 2000s (a period that saw the band’s experimental yet infectious sonic excitement find its following and start to climb the Swedish charts), the 2005 live release is practically essential viewing and listening for fans. It was recorded 20 years ago now, two years after Zander joined Evergrey in 2002, at the prestigious Stora Teatern venue in this very city –and that’s where our day will be starting.