Everon

The German band Everon plays hard-edged neo-progressive music influenced by later Marillion and Rush. The group was formed in 1989 by Ralf Janssen (guitar), Christian Moos (drums), and Schymy (bass), who had been playing together for a few years. Everon was completed when the band added lead singer Oliver Phillips, formerly of Jester's Palace. Their first album, Paradoxes (1993), was a strong debut that found the band playing song-oriented, if complex prog material produced by EROC, the former drummer of Grobschnitt. The mostly up-tempo record sold well and the group returned with EROC to record Flood (1995). Flood found the band recording harder material while adding some quieter songs with more prominent keyboards than on their debut. Although the album was received well, the group's label, SI Music, went bankrupt and the band did not sell as many albums as hoped. Although they thought of splitting up, Everon soon signed to another label and released the heavier Venus in 1997, the group's most mature work to date. Janssen left the group in 1998 and was replaced by Ulli Hoever. Fantasma (2000) was even heavier than Venus and in places even edged on progressive metal in the grand style of bands like Savatage. ~ Geoff Orens, Rovi