Evil Shepherd
Evil Through Darkness...
And Darkness Through Death

Perhaps you're wondering why I disparage albums the way I do? You might think I do it for fun? Or because I want to get attention by upsetting bands and fans? But if that's what you think you're very wrong. You might even live with the idea that I could chose to ignore it if I don't like it - why bother writing a negative review? No one's forcing me to listen, right? No, that's right. But they have asked me to do it. They've given me an album, they've said they want me to write a review for the album and they've even made up a little story about how great this band and album is, telling me it's an album you "should" like and all that shit. So I listen, I review it but writing a review is not equal to giving the album credit. And when it comes to Evil Shepherd, I really don't have any credit to give.

'Evil Through Darkness... And Darkness Through Death' is the second album by this Belgian quintet and according to a statement they've grown tired of "nostalgic" thrash bands and second rate Exodus copies - this is something radically different in the thrash genre. Before we go any further I think we need to clear something out with something in that statement, the part about radically different thrash. Now I'm not saying you can't vary thrash metal, but it's something like noodle soup - sure you can put different flavors on it but at the end of the day it's still noodles every time. And the same goes for the thrash genre - you can make it a bit different but thrash metal will still always be thrash metal and thrash metal is what the genre suggest it is, not some kind of philanthropic jazz music with experimental undertones - and it never will be either.

Now I like thrash metal, but it's also something I don't like. Sure, there's plenty of good thrash metal out there but as this band said it themselves there's also plenty of bad ones and too many bands sounding like every other band in the genre. To see a Belgian band is not something you do every day as this is a country that really hasn't made much noise about itself with it comes to thrash metal, or metal… or hard rock at all. Or any kind of music, and if you ask me I have a really hard time seeing how this band ever could change that.

Evil Shepherd make all kinds of statements about satanism and other forms of "evil" stuff that they think is sacred to every human in the world (but truth is that most people don't give a damn). The only reason why I think Evil Shepherd make such a fuzz about it is because they want to chock people, they want people to gaze at them with a mixed look of hatred and shock but deep inside admire them for how evil and cool they are. Newsflash: The only people that care are idiots and every one else don't give a shit. To sing about satanism and anti christ is as shocking as opening a Snickers bar on a bus and it's about as impressing as shitting and burping at the same time. The only way you could get me less interested is by licking your own ass… and when we touched that subject I have to say that when Jonah, the vocalist, sings it really sounds like he has done just that - licked his own ass - the entire morning before he went to the studio and recorded his parts for 'Evil Through Darkness... And Darkness Through Death'. It feels like I'm gonna be sick the entire 42 minutes of this album, and that's not a result of this album being particularly "evil" or "dangerous" or something - it's purely because it's so disgustingly uninteresting. And bad!

I don't think the shepherds have done anything radically or fundamentally different from any other thrash band in the universe with the music on this album. It's fast, dirty and led by guitars. The production is bad and the sound even worse. None of the musicians makes anything startling anytime, anywhere on this album and the songs are all dull and uninteresting. I wouldn't pick any of them to my iPod, not even if I had a really big memory in it and could fit thousands of songs because in my iTunes library I have just that - thousands of songs and all twelve on 'Evil Through Darkness... And Darkness Through Death' belongs to the most uninteresting.

If you asked me to pick one good reason why anyone would buy this album I would say it must be for the cover then because there's a naked woman on it. However, as it's painted incredibly ugly… I wouldn't say that either. There's very little on 'Evil Through Darkness... And Darkness Through Death' that makes you happy but if you're someone that really, honestly, love all - ALL - kind of thrash metal (even the one that really sucks) then maybe… maybe. But probably not.

HHHHHHH