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Lars Christiansen of The Metal Crypt
http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/reviews.php?revid=3261
Every so often, an album comes along and reminds you of why you got into metal in the first place. An album that captures the sheer intensity and most importantly, the thrilling adrenaline rush you got when first listening to your own cherished classic albums. Almost nothing beats the feeling you get when experiencing the inexorable flow of top quality sparkling molten steel into your ear canals. For me, these albums come along maybe every year or so, maybe not even that often, but when they do, they help you re-live that hunger you had when you first started discovering bands way back when and the latest in line to light a fire under my arse has been Evile's debut album 'Enter the Grave'. Hailing from my home country England, I first came across the band completely by chance, and boy am I glad my luck was in that day. Basically, I was sent the promo by Earache alongside an order for the latest Blood Red Throne CD as an apology for a mistake made on a previous order. I figured it deserved at least a spin for old times sake if nothing else after a cursory glance showed the word 'Thrash' on its back, above the statement that Flemming Rasmussen had produced it (he of pre-Bob Rock Metallica infamy). But when I stuck it into my car's CD player I was instantly hooked, and hell, since then it's had probably twenty times the spins than the Blood Red Throne CD has had.
With the Thrash renaissance of late, quite a few bands have been clambering for the crown of Thrash, without any band (in my eyes at least) managing to grasp it quite as tightly as Evile have with this album. Bands have been getting closer and closer to the 80's sound, with the likes of Municipal Waste, S.S.S and Violator touching on that retro sound the closest (from what I've experienced at least). But, I could go on about every little nuance of why I think this album is so great, but this review would end up turning into some War and Peace-like tome, so I will attempt to stick to the basics. Firstly, these guys out-Slayer ALL of Slayers last few releases (the overall sound of the album reminds me at times of a cross between Seasons in the Abyss and Reign In Blood). Secondly, the guitar tone bites through flesh when flying through galloping triplet notes, and when palm muted it snaps tendons - mostly in my neck I found that to be the case. Thirdly, and most importantly in my opinion, rather than taking a unique approach to Thrash, they unashamedly bow down to the classics of early Metallica, the aforementioned Slayer, Testament, Exodus and touches of fellow Brits Onslaught, guaranteeing you to rack your brain on multiple occasions of 'where you've heard that riff before', before it begins to dawn on you that you actually haven't heard them before - they're simply killer brand new riffs done in the classic style of all the old favorites - it's a notion so alien when sitting down to listen to a new or recent album, merely because of the rarity of its occurrence.
The fact is, even though I got sent the full promo of this album as mentioned previously, I've actually pre-ordered the album online too - for one I felt immense guilt for getting quite so much pleasure from an album for free, and secondly, to me it seemed that every penny these guys make will count towards making the probability of their next album coming into fruition even more likely, and to be honest, I'm salivating at the very thought of further releases from these guys already. Anyhow, to close off, I think it's best to end with a small statement which hits the nail dead on the head
This album will cause severe neck and upper body trauma. That is all.
5/5
Lars Christiansen of The Metal Crypt
http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/reviews.php?revid=3261
Every so often, an album comes along and reminds you of why you got into metal in the first place. An album that captures the sheer intensity and most importantly, the thrilling adrenaline rush you got when first listening to your own cherished classic albums. Almost nothing beats the feeling you get when experiencing the inexorable flow of top quality sparkling molten steel into your ear canals. For me, these albums come along maybe every year or so, maybe not even that often, but when they do, they help you re-live that hunger you had when you first started discovering bands way back when and the latest in line to light a fire under my arse has been Evile's debut album 'Enter the Grave'. Hailing from my home country England, I first came across the band completely by chance, and boy am I glad my luck was in that day. Basically, I was sent the promo by Earache alongside an order for the latest Blood Red Throne CD as an apology for a mistake made on a previous order. I figured it deserved at least a spin for old times sake if nothing else after a cursory glance showed the word 'Thrash' on its back, above the statement that Flemming Rasmussen had produced it (he of pre-Bob Rock Metallica infamy). But when I stuck it into my car's CD player I was instantly hooked, and hell, since then it's had probably twenty times the spins than the Blood Red Throne CD has had.
With the Thrash renaissance of late, quite a few bands have been clambering for the crown of Thrash, without any band (in my eyes at least) managing to grasp it quite as tightly as Evile have with this album. Bands have been getting closer and closer to the 80's sound, with the likes of Municipal Waste, S.S.S and Violator touching on that retro sound the closest (from what I've experienced at least). But, I could go on about every little nuance of why I think this album is so great, but this review would end up turning into some War and Peace-like tome, so I will attempt to stick to the basics. Firstly, these guys out-Slayer ALL of Slayers last few releases (the overall sound of the album reminds me at times of a cross between Seasons in the Abyss and Reign In Blood). Secondly, the guitar tone bites through flesh when flying through galloping triplet notes, and when palm muted it snaps tendons - mostly in my neck I found that to be the case. Thirdly, and most importantly in my opinion, rather than taking a unique approach to Thrash, they unashamedly bow down to the classics of early Metallica, the aforementioned Slayer, Testament, Exodus and touches of fellow Brits Onslaught, guaranteeing you to rack your brain on multiple occasions of 'where you've heard that riff before', before it begins to dawn on you that you actually haven't heard them before - they're simply killer brand new riffs done in the classic style of all the old favorites - it's a notion so alien when sitting down to listen to a new or recent album, merely because of the rarity of its occurrence.
The fact is, even though I got sent the full promo of this album as mentioned previously, I've actually pre-ordered the album online too - for one I felt immense guilt for getting quite so much pleasure from an album for free, and secondly, to me it seemed that every penny these guys make will count towards making the probability of their next album coming into fruition even more likely, and to be honest, I'm salivating at the very thought of further releases from these guys already. Anyhow, to close off, I think it's best to end with a small statement which hits the nail dead on the head
This album will cause severe neck and upper body trauma. That is all.
5/5
