Evile – Enter the Grave
Earache Records – MOSH353 – August 27, 2007
By Jason Jordan
After truly impressive showings with All Hallows Eve EP and Hell Demo, UK thrashers Evile are set to make waves with their highly anticipated Earache debut, which is by far their best work yet. In fact, though there’s an influences-on-their-sleeve aura surrounding each of their efforts, Enter the Grave sees another increase in musicianship, songwriting, and production – the latter attributable to famed producer Flemming Rasmussen, who is to thank for Metallica’s masterpieces. Still, Enter the Grave is unabashed thrash that may not appeal to those who have merely a casual interest in it, and, needless to say, those who don’t care for the subgenre whatsoever.
Longtime Evile fans, however, will recognize a few tracks on this 53-minute record. ‘Killer from the Deep’ first appeared on All Hallows Eve EP, while ‘Enter the Grave,’ ‘Thrasher,’ and ‘We Who Are About to Die’ were originally unleashed as part of Hell Demo. That alone gives those songs an edge over the others, even if minor changes have been made. Nonetheless, confident razor-y numbers like ‘First Blood,’ ‘Man Against Machine,’ ‘Burned Alive,’ ‘Shizophrenia,’ ‘Bathe in Blood,’ and ‘Armoured Assault’ provide skilled, healthy competition. Of that particular lot, ‘Man Against Machine’ could be declared the victor because of the buildup, swaggering riffs, speedy leads, and effective gang shouts heard within the robust, aforementioned tune. As is the case with myriad albums, Enter the Grave has a few songs that don’t scintillate as brightly as their first-rate peers, but, to be fair, there’s not a clunker among the 10. Even so, one would be hard pressed to find a faster, angrier closer than ‘Armoured Assault,’ which definitely lives up to its name. Again, the guitar duo consisting of Ol and Matt Drake turn in a fantastic performance overall, as does bassist Mike Alexander and drummer Ben Carter.
So, Evile’s full-length debut is an undeniable success, and likely one of the best thrash albums you’ll hear in 2007. Despite tackling an oft-visited style – along with commonplace concepts and subject matter – Enter the Grave manages to put a new spin on an otherwise tired routine. While I’d be surprised if EtG topped year-end lists, especially since the Metallica influence is apparent now more than ever, Evile continue to improve and simultaneously forge their own identity.
Official Evile MySpace
Official Evile Website
Official Earache Records Website
Earache Records – MOSH353 – August 27, 2007
By Jason Jordan
After truly impressive showings with All Hallows Eve EP and Hell Demo, UK thrashers Evile are set to make waves with their highly anticipated Earache debut, which is by far their best work yet. In fact, though there’s an influences-on-their-sleeve aura surrounding each of their efforts, Enter the Grave sees another increase in musicianship, songwriting, and production – the latter attributable to famed producer Flemming Rasmussen, who is to thank for Metallica’s masterpieces. Still, Enter the Grave is unabashed thrash that may not appeal to those who have merely a casual interest in it, and, needless to say, those who don’t care for the subgenre whatsoever.
Longtime Evile fans, however, will recognize a few tracks on this 53-minute record. ‘Killer from the Deep’ first appeared on All Hallows Eve EP, while ‘Enter the Grave,’ ‘Thrasher,’ and ‘We Who Are About to Die’ were originally unleashed as part of Hell Demo. That alone gives those songs an edge over the others, even if minor changes have been made. Nonetheless, confident razor-y numbers like ‘First Blood,’ ‘Man Against Machine,’ ‘Burned Alive,’ ‘Shizophrenia,’ ‘Bathe in Blood,’ and ‘Armoured Assault’ provide skilled, healthy competition. Of that particular lot, ‘Man Against Machine’ could be declared the victor because of the buildup, swaggering riffs, speedy leads, and effective gang shouts heard within the robust, aforementioned tune. As is the case with myriad albums, Enter the Grave has a few songs that don’t scintillate as brightly as their first-rate peers, but, to be fair, there’s not a clunker among the 10. Even so, one would be hard pressed to find a faster, angrier closer than ‘Armoured Assault,’ which definitely lives up to its name. Again, the guitar duo consisting of Ol and Matt Drake turn in a fantastic performance overall, as does bassist Mike Alexander and drummer Ben Carter.
So, Evile’s full-length debut is an undeniable success, and likely one of the best thrash albums you’ll hear in 2007. Despite tackling an oft-visited style – along with commonplace concepts and subject matter – Enter the Grave manages to put a new spin on an otherwise tired routine. While I’d be surprised if EtG topped year-end lists, especially since the Metallica influence is apparent now more than ever, Evile continue to improve and simultaneously forge their own identity.
Official Evile MySpace
Official Evile Website
Official Earache Records Website
