Evil
Shoot the Messenger

Funnily enough Danish band Evil has quite a bit of things in common with British band Hell, not only that they debuted in the eighties and recently came back with a first full-length album. They also sound fairly similar and their name share a sense of evil and their marketer describes them both as cult bands. There isn’t that much of the Evil that released a mini-LP back in 1984 only Freddie remains and he has enlisted the help of Søren for the vocals, Freddie has written everything and plays all instruments – so in reality it is Freddie that uses the old name in hope of someone remembering that and uses that to release his one-man project.

What I find mostly fascinating about this album’s press material though is how it is claimed that the band is amongst the founders of European Heavy Metal and later it is written that they are inspired by the likes of Judas Priest and Accept who together with Iron Maiden probably are considered the most important bands in the start of this genre and there are several other heavy metal bands that released their earliest work at the same time or earlier than Hell. Then I also doubt that one obscure release can make a band a cult band and such things, don’t shoot the messenger it is just some thoughts.

Musically it is heavy metal perhaps infused with some thrash and speed metal elements, high-pitched vocalist and fairly modern production with some nice rough edges. It is energetic music with good drive and I think the vocals suit the songs very well, though one cannot really describe them as innovative or having an air of novelty about them. There are eight tracks on the album that has a playing time of only 33 minutes, that is very short and to the point – such things are always very good. There is also enough variation for it to last 33 minutes without becoming repetitive. Overall I think that we can claim that this new album by Evil is a very solid production, but there is one thing to make a good recording and another to make a good album.

I think though that we can conclude that this is a good album, the songs hold a good quality all the way through. Fans of heavy metal will probably find this album quite agreeable, as it should cater to what they want. At the same time I have to admit that in one regard this album is a little bit of a disappointment as they sell this as a cult band that returns after many years of silence, but they return with an album that isn’t fantastic and that doesn’t really make any sense at all. The cult would be better preserved had the band remained dormant until they really had something amazing to offer. I think that it is another reflection of how our world is becoming more and more mono-directional, the arts and crafts that really stand out are fewer and further between for each passing day. Fans of heavy metal might claim that I am wrong but as a critic there are these aspects to take into consideration as well and if an album doesn’t give a sense of greatness or novelty it cannot be considered for a higher rating, hence the middle score for this one. Now don’t shoot the messenger, I am just writing it how I see it.

I think that the track called I Could be Your Hero is the most heroic track on the album, the one standout they have – that should however not be interpreted as though it is a standout track in the genre because it isn’t. It is a great track nevertheless. The other good thing is the energy and the concise presentation of the album that I think may appeal to some fans. Not an album to dismiss because it is quite good, it is just lacking that little extra edge that you should expect from a band that is described as a cult band and one of the founding fathers of European heavy metal with a legendary mini-LP in the baggage. Not quite as evil as it is suggested.

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