Album Review: Evile - The Unkown

Evile - The Unknown

Napalm Records - 2023

6.5/10

Seemingly out of left-field, the latest Evile album hit the scenes just over a year ago, and it took me until about now to finally conjure up some thoughts. Its lack of hype caused it to catch me offguard, and the strange makeup in general made the band's sixth outing The Unknown sit differently with me than probably any prior album. While they've always been a staple thrash metal act in my rotation, 2021's re-launching of the band with Hell Unleashed left me disappointed. Thus, my hopes for its follow-up weren't exactly high.

With that said, I do think The Unknown is a slight step forward. The prior album suffered from the generic thrash tropes that make many a modern band feel like throwaway "dime-a-dozen" acts, so I was glad to see things take a different direction here. Nearly half of the record is far more somber, feeling like "Tomb" off of 2013's Skull was an entire album with a different vocalist. Slower riff chugs and baritone vocal lines crawl all over this side, raking in stronger bass presence in a non-threatening way. Then, the back half seemingly "wakes up" and returns to a far more thrash metal oriented sound, looking back towards the band's older days for direction.

Unfortunately, two problems plague this otherwise interesting idea. For one, the inconsistency is just a little too jarring, and feels awkward between the two sides. Secondly, much of both ends contain too many songs that either drag on longer than they needed to, or lack memorability. It should be unsurprising that the shorter, more direct tunes are the few exceptions for me. "Out Of Sight" kicks in beautifully, delivering a thrash blow that the band hasn't landed for me in over a decade, while "Sleepless Eyes" just before that seems to have the opposite effect. The latter lets out emotion that I couldn't find in any of the other earlier tracks, despite that being what I think the band was going for.

Otherwise, it becomes a game of "I can groove with this" vs. "this bores the shit out of me." The vocal melodies over harder passages in the likes of "Beginning Of The End" are fun, and the dreary atmosphere of "The Mask We Wear" are notable, but I can't say they really do much for me in the long run. Evile are essentially an entirely different band than what they were from 2004-2013, and while I can appreciate what they're doing to an extent, I struggle to jive with either of the past two records. It isn't likely I'll return to either again for a long time.

Album Review: Power Trip - Manifest Decimation

Power Trip - Manifest Decimation

Southern Lord Recordings - 2013

9/10

Back in 2017, I was quite fast to hop on the Power Trip hype-train with the release of their incredible record titled Nightmare Logic (should you stumble upon my review from back then, be nice to me!). It wouldn't be long before I'd go back and discover that the Texas thrash act had already broken some ground several years prior. Manifest Decimation these days feels a little overlooked because of how massive their follow-up was, but I do find it to have some charm of its own, and evidently I'm not alone in this assertion. While not too far removed from what would come, I'd still say it satisfies the same craving.

By that, I mean it's still a harsh and punishing thrash metal record with extra attitude, harder punches, and a dash of crossover. What separates things here is that the debut taps into a deeper layer of rips and cuts, with the production coating a little more echo at the expense of some clarity. This is all fine though, as its burred edges allow for an ever harsher feeling when swallowed, giving it that aforementioned charm. The delivery itself also feels a bit more pissed off, fueling the machine with mightier feelings of anger. That would pair well with the fact that the record is named after one of the harshest historical blows to a society by colonizers, at least on our side of the globe.

The only complaint one might have is that this opens less space for standout numbers, something that its successor would specialize in, however if we aren't comparing this to what's to come, I really see no issue. In exchange, this feels as consistent as it ever could, and the songs never let up. Notable moments aren't non-existent, however. "Conditioned To Death" is arguably their most powerful tune, swinging in with slower chugs before breaking the chaotic speeds and unlovable vocal blasts in with such a menacing aura; something about the bouncy chorus chugs and echoed backing vocals feels so brash! "Heretic's Fork" has one of the sharpest solos on the entire album, while "Crossbreaker" slows down the tempo for a rhythmic rumble and bass-heavy ride. For such a quick ride, I'd say this is more than enough anyway.

A seasoned listener knows this by now, but the moral here is never let the brighter gem outshine another gem. The raw fury with a muscular delivery and strong ear for hooks found in these 34 minutes is an incredible feat, and I couldn't recommend this enough. Power Trip only got two full lengths to their name in before the late Riley Gale met his tragic end in 2020 (Rest In Peace). While I may be ever-so-slightly partial to the second album, Manifest Decimation is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

Album Review: Pneuma Hagion - Voidgazer

Pneuma Hagion - Voidgazer

Memento Mori - 2020

7.5/10

Mmm, the endless pit of "the album cover and name alone caught my interest." Pneuma Hagion actually grabbed my attention back in 2020 when it was first released, but like many others of its type, at the time it was just a little too extreme for my tastes. I'd later pick it up in part of a sale that the label did with several other splendid releases, being one I revisit from time to time, but always struggled with how I feel. Well, Voidgazer is finally getting the deeper look. The band's name is Greek for "Holy Spirit," but don't go into this expecting a helping of Greek black metal, because it's stylistically far from that (and, they're from Texas).

Instead, Voidgazer is oddly one of the cleanest delves into the blackened death metal realm that I've ever come across. From end to end you're served a small helping of unrelenting drum blasts, coarse and abrasive death growls that have a blackened hint from time to time, and chunky riffs that wouldn't feel out of place on a more recent Morbid Angel album. What's daunting is just how polished this feels, as all the instrumentation is jarringly clean, with each part sticking out and not being overshadowed or overshadowing anything else. Hell, even the vocals feel far too concise for the effort at hand.

Typically, that would irritate me, and I'd dismiss this into the "generic" pile. It may help that the album doesn't even touch the half-hour mark, allowing things to make their impressions without overstaying their welcome, but I find myself enjoying this every time I come back to it. The shifts from tremolo to death metal chug, the layering allowing the focus to move to something different within the songs, and the general delivery are all part of a pleasant experience. Aesthetically, the only real complaint is that some of the guitar tones have way too much of a deathcore-oriented chug to them, especially in the breakdown on "Timeless Darkness."

While it sounds like I'm basically praising the hell out of the Pneuma Hagion debut, it's very much lacking in the realm of having any standout moments alone. In a way, I almost have to call it "accidently good," because as I've said, the overall experience is a fun one. But if the record wasn't so short, and if the construction alone didn't feel so unique, would I be saying the same thing? Ultimately it takes me back to what I was saying at the start; I'm still not entirely sure about my exact feelings, but if nothing else, you can be assured I'll continue returning to it. Worth hearing for any black/death fans.