Album Review: Everon – Shells (Music Theories Recordings)

German progressive rockers Everon will release their first new album in 16 years on February 28th,2025. It’s called ‘Shells’ and it comes via Music Theories Recordings.

A return like no other, not only turning back the clock, but sounding fresher than ever, Everon’s legend grows and it’s all thanks to a uniquely expressive album. One that nails the highs and lows of their progressive thinking, infused with melody, and plenty of anthemic rock moments.

Playful and imaginative, No Embrace sets the bar high from the start, showcasing a new level of cinematic opulence. This isn’t just the sound of a creative band, it’s the sound of a band that embodies a word like ‘genius’, and across a lengthy album, they unveil more delights than the mind can handle.

Unsurprisingly, to fully appreciate the brilliance of this record, it requires time, patience and multiple listens. There’s so much going on, so much to unpack, but, importantly, it does have plenty of hooks to begin with. Hooks like Broken Angels’ heartfelt melodies, epic vocals and wandering guitars, Travels’ breezy and relaxed story-telling vibes, the eccentricities of Pinocchio’s Nose, and Monster’s touching beauty. If you’re not completely in love with this album by this stage, there’s simply no hope for you.

Only in our wildest dreams could Everon’s return have come with such an array of exciting efforts. The combination of everything that makes them special with a new lease on musical life. I don’t think I can crow about the creativity within this album enough, and even then, I don’t think I’m fully expressing just how clever it is. Rarely does melody have this much of a hold and rarely does a continuation of rich cinematic elements delivered in restrained style, fascinate.

That is this album and alongside outstanding efforts like the title track, Grace, and Guilty as Charged, it proves to be utterly spellbinding. If you do find yourself wanting a bit more ‘oomph’ at this stage, the latter of those three delivers a whole heap of progressive rock goodness.

Reaching its latter stage, the album continues to showcase delight after delight, albeit in shorter form. First, there’s the dramatic and glorious sounding Children of the Earth. Then, there’s the energetic rock instrumental that is OCD, where orchestral elements are used as exclamation marks. Before Until We Meet Again takes us back in time, Everon style.

Is that it though? Not even close. Flesh is here, and it’s something else completely.

Not to suggest it doesn’t fit, as it really does. Featuring all manner of creative peculiarities as only Everon can do, wrapped up in a mighty progressive shell, and playing out over a fourteen-minute runtime. It’s the album’s ‘epic’ because of its length, but its long term value is simply measured by the fact it exists on this album, which from beginning to end, is unforgettable.

One of the best things released this year.

Everon – Shells Track Listing:

1. No Embrace
2. Broken Angels
3. Travels
4. Pinocchio’s Nose
5. Monster
6. Shells
7. Grace
8. Guilty As Charged
9. Children of the Earth
10. OCD
11. Until We Meet Again
12. Flesh

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