Evan Ryan Canady Drops Trials and Tribulations Album

From the opening seconds of “Ouverture,” I could tell Trials and Tribulations was going to hit hard. The way it slowly builds into that sweeping melodic guitar solo, anchored by glistening piano, felt like a nod to vintage action cinema. Not ironic or tongue in cheek, but genuinely cinematic. It pulled me in immediately. That kind of confident, theatrical flair is a rare way to open a modern metal album, and it worked.

The title track flips the mood completely. It starts with this atmospheric, almost global sensibility, like something you might expect from an ambient record, and then barrels headfirst into metal chaos. There is a wildness to the arrangement that somehow still feels under control. Around the three minute mark, a guitar solo explodes out of nowhere, and it does not just show off. It breathes life into the song. The vocals here are coarse and expressive, matching the volatility of the instrumentation without getting lost in it.

“Reward of the Wicked” felt like a standout moment. The guitar lines weave together with intention, and nothing feels borrowed or forced. It is heavy, yes, but also surprisingly nimble. “Ride the Wave” turns a sharp corner into grunge territory. I got flashes of early nineties gloom, but there is a clarity to the songwriting that keeps it from drowning in nostalgia. The chorus has been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it.

“Vikings” arrives like a storm. Everything about it is massive, from the riffs to the cadence to the lyrics that read like a blood-soaked folktale. But what stayed with me most was “Rise and Shine.” The melodic structure is tight and memorable, and the guitars practically radiate light. There is a clarity in the mix that lets every phrase land cleanly. I caught myself singing it in the shower hours later. That kind of connection is hard to manufacture.

“Sands of Time” closes the album with weight and precision. It does not try to reinvent anything. It simply brings the experience to a head with one last surge of power. It is the kind of closer that makes you pause and absorb what just happened.

This album does not feel like a throwback or a tribute. It feels like a continuation of a sound that refuses to fade. Evan Ryan Canady did not just revisit the past. He recharged it.

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