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Musicians:
Oliver
Philipps: vocals, guitars, piano & keyboards
Christian "Moschus" Moos: drums & percussion
Ulli Hoever: guitars
Schymy: bass
Guests:
Judith
Stüber: Female vocals on "Already Dead" and "The
River" - Donja Djember: Cello on "And Still It Bleeds" -
Gabi Ziebell: Violin - Paula Sandu: Viola - Zdenek Bezusek: Cello -
Oliver Thiele: music & keyboard arrangement on "Back In
Sight"
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Released : 2002
Label
: Mascot Records
Catalogue
number :
M
7068 2
Total
playing time : 51’34”
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Website:
www.everon.de
Contact:
faninfo@everon.de
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Progressive
Rock
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Rating
8/10
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Tracklist:
And Still
It Bleeds (7’45”) / Already Dead (3’20”) / Pictures Of You
(6’01”) / Flesh (14’18”) / Missing From The Chain (4’53”) /
The River (4’05”) / Half As Bad (3’32”) / Back In Sight
(7’20”)
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“Flesh”
is the second album this year for Everon. As promised, when they released
“Bridge”, “Flesh” is the softer, more orchestral CD of the two. It
contains longer, more epic numbers then the previous.
As I already mentioned in the review of “Bridge”, this is a different
Everon. And this is even truer for this CD. They really sound as a unity with
a newborn Oliver on the vocals.
Although “Flesh” is the lighter version, it still has its heavy parts. You
can call “Bridge” a heavy album with soft pieces and “Flesh” a soft
album with heavy pieces. Makes me wonder if it couldn’t have been a double
CD after all. But anyway, let’s concentrate on the songs, because that’s
what matters.
The songs are less heavy but they still give me a ballad feeling, mostly due
to the sound of the guitars. I don’t mean I don’t like the sound or the
solos; I just want to tell you how they sound.
“And
Still It Bleeds” starts with a cello, with a theme that also ends the song.
The song is filled with a string section that gives an orchestral feeling. I
would even call it a symphonic, epic ballad.
A lot of rhythmic piano, strings and some emotional vocals form “Already
Dead”. The addition of Judith Stüber on vocals gives an extra variation.
She has a beautiful voice that sounds good in duet with Oliver.
Oliver sings alone to start “Pictures Of You”, it almost sounds like a
religious piece. It changes into a beautiful guitar solo. After that the song
really starts. (The lyrics of the first piece aren’t even mentioned in the
booklet) The rest of the song is a very melodic, catchy piece of music.
The title track “Flesh” lasts 15 minutes. The best 15 minutes of the two
albums. I would even dare say the best that Everon ever did. Although it gets
great competition from “Juliet” from “Bridge”. It contains everything
you wish. It starts with some piano, it has some emotional and heavier vocals
and some with a vocoder, it has silent pieces and some of the heaviest of this
album, it has orchestral moments and it has some marvellous guitar solos. This
song alone makes it worth buying this album.
The next song “Missing From The Chain” features only Oliver and the string
section. A very open, relaxing song to dream away with.
The fresh voice of Judith Stüber returns in “The River”. She transforms
this already beautiful song with only piano and vocals into a splendid
masterpiece.
“Half As Bad” is a strange kind of love confession or is it just the
reverse? I like these lyrics. After two songs without the guitar, we get an
acoustic and an electric guitar solo as a double treat on this track.
“Back In Sight” about some unreachable memories, starts with some
electronic, rhythmic sounds. A good ballad to end this album.
Personally,
I prefer “Bridge”, although my favourite, “Flesh”, is on this album.
As I said before, it could have been a double CD. It’s hard to make a
choice, so, don’t hesitate and buy them both.
Reviewed by : Danny 'Camil' Focke
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