Andy Sommer, Rene Ritzmann, Holger Wenck, Thorsten Baus and Florian Moller seem to have purity in their hearts, as regards their will to present good Euro Power Metal music - added by some progressive and melodic elements - through their band. Form the opening riff of Here We Are to the closing melody of I Want To Save You, I would not conclude to something different.
Rising marks the debut release by this interesting Frankfurt, Germany quintet. The fact that EVERFEST meen serious business is obvious from the CD cover itself. A simple but ample artwork can initially put you in the picture; the band may play mature Metal music was the first thought crossing my mind. So be it: playing for not more than five years, the band is led by a charismatic singer whose passionate and various-pitched voice seems to be the trademark for the band. A mix of Bruce Dickinson, Don Dokken, Geoff Tate and Andy B. Franck, this singer guides a crew of musicians with similar musical value.
Hence, EVERFEST's music in Rising - even if not capable of tearing our brains out due to some groundbreaking songwriting - exposes a srt of Metal musicians willing to deal with many aspects of melodies. Power (or, often, dark) rhythms are replaced by melodic bridges, then leading to major choruses backed by some atmospheric leads. The likes of EDGUY, LION'S SHARE, BRAINSTORM, a little bit of SHADOW GALLERY or STRATOVARIUS and...what else?...ah, a very good (indeed) production bringing up all the 'pros' of the band.
EVERFEST have enough of energy/appetite to perform really good to what they're doing. Fans of Melodic/Power Metal music - the European way - should keep an eye on this band. Definitely, Rising is an album they'll be attracted to.