Napalm Records - 2022
9.5/10
Evil Invaders have been a special love of mine since their last full length Feed Me Violence. Their unique vocal approach, ear for advanced riffing, and fun blend of traditional, speed, and thrash metal reaches heights that few others have pulled off. The Belgians have come forth this year with Shattering Reflection, an effort that boasts just the same tactics. Small tweaks to the formula are noticeable, but that’s all that’s needed for their brand.
Really, this offers a little bit of everything. It becomes evident immediately on “Hissing In Crescendo” utilizing palm-mutes and harmonics that don’t cause a sensory overload. These heavier and more chaotic approaches sit nicely next to the calmer tunes. I’d nearly go as far as calling “In Deepest Black” a ballad coated in arms that protect against tainting the speedy aesthetic. Emotions run high here, and the way the lead guitars attach themselves to the vocals is honestly magical. Want some epic vibes that take the slow but powerful approach? Look to “Forgotten Memories” to fulfill this need.
More than anything, Evil Invaders combines these parameters so smoothly, not only from song to song, but within certain tracks. “Die For Me” rakes in energetic, Enforcer-like vibes with its speed metal meeting melodic, almost glammy progressions; the layers on this one are truly fantastic. The longer, borderline doomy “Eternal Darkness” flips all of the uplifting energy on its back, and acts as an anti-hero of the same aesthetic. Moreover, the advanced bass work and placement of the speed metal areas make this outstanding. Out of every album, the thrashing madness probably makes appearances the least on this record, but it’s really not needed this time around.
Without messing with the roots, Shattering Reflection matches the momentum of their last record beautifully. It takes a special kind of songwriting to achieve this outcome, and they’ve got every bit of it. Nothing pretentious, nothing over the top, nothing extreme, and nothing overly clean. Just fantastic musicianship and memorability from end to end. Easily recommended for fans of any traditional style, particularly if you fancy Enforcer, Beekeeper, Exodus, or Maule.
Listen -> Bandcamp
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