Theoretically Speaking With RIKARD ZANDER From EVERGREY

Interview by Kris Peters
Swedish progressive power metal outfit Evergrey have had a long and
distinguished career, chalking up 13 albums in their three-decade
existence, in the process redefining the acceptable parameters for
Swedish metal.
Led since 1993 by guitarist/vocalist Tom S Englund, Evergrey have
maintained their dark approach to a generally bright form of metal,
spreading their musical wings further with each new release.
Evergrey will release their 14th studio album Theories Of Emptiness
on June 7, with keyboard player Rikard Zander spending time with
HEAVY to discuss the new material. We start by asking if, after 13
previous album releases, the impending release of another is still
a nerve-wracking process.
"Yeah, I've been there, done that," he shrugged, "but we still put
so much effort into every album we do. We always try to do our
best, and we always try to top the previous albums. So, of course,
we are very anxious to see how it's going to be received. We're
always a little bit nervous of course, because we've been in the
process for such a long time so we really don't know… we don't have
an objective side of it yet, so it feels good when you start to get
some good reviews and hear people liking it (laughs)."
"We always try to find new angles for every release. I mean, we're
not going to change completely. We still have a way, and we're
going to put out great music, but we try to find a new way of
writing, maybe just to try to keep it fresh. And I think the new
angle on this album is mostly that Johan, our bass player, has
written a lot of music, and he hasn't done that before."
In the full interview, Rikard discussed Evergrey's new album
Theories of Emptiness, highlighting the band's approach to creating
fresh music and the influence of different band members on the
album's sound. He also expressed surprise at early reviews calling
it their best album ever, emphasizing the band's ongoing efforts to
deliver high-quality music despite releasing numerous albums. He
engaged in a detailed discussion about the album, covering various
aspects such as the song titles, guest vocals, and the introduction
of new elements, particularly the contribution of bass player Johan
in songwriting. Rikard also provided insights into the band's
upcoming world tour plans, including gigs in South America,
European festivals, a Scandinavian tour, and a European tour in the
fall.


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