It has been eight years since UK thrashers Evile have released a new album. With Hell Unleashed coming out on Napalm Records, Evile are making the long wait worth it. Hell Unleashed is a study of ruthless metal music that bludgeons with raw emotion.
The membership within Evile has evolved since their last offering with Ol Drake returning on guitar and taking over the vocals duties. Adam Smith is covering rhythm guitar. Meanwhile, bassist Joel Graham and drummer Ben Carter return.
From the caustic opener “Paralysed” to the breakneck onslaught of the closing title track, Evile are truly bent on unleashing the furies of hell. Hell Unleashed is a revitalized and vastly superior beast compared to their earlier work. Evile have dialed into their strengths which are powerful aggression combined with a masterful performance.
An example of Evile’s pursuit of savagery on Hell Unleashed is the song “War of Attrition”. The drums are absolutely crushing. You can feel the sweat and ferocity roaring from the guitars. The riffs are a shock wave to the senses. Adding in the spitting hardcore venom of Ol Drake’s vocals and you have a recipe for destruction.
Ultimate heavy metal fan and comedian Brian Posehn gets into the mix providing backing vocals on “Gore”. This fiery tune never lets up. The guitars and drums race creating feelings of fear and loathing. As with the other songs on Hell Unleashed, Ol Drake creates remarkable guitar solos that capture the intensity of the music.
Fans of the pulverizing music created by Slayer and Sepultura will rejoice in Hell Unleashed. Evile capture the same level of malevolence. Even though this is a well-worn territory in metal music, Hell Unleashed sounds fresh and exciting. It was very easy to get lost in the heaviness without feeling like you’ve heard this already.
Hell Unleashed by Evile is an infectious and brutal portrait of modern thrash. Gone is the rehashed early Metallica love affair (which really wasn’t a bad thing). Instead, Evile has retooled to strike with a spiked fist of blazing songs that reek with malice. This album by Evile is exciting. The band’s performance is stellar and the recording is well defined letting the power of the music explode from your speakers. While Evile is not breaking new ground, this album is an invigorating addition to the genre of thrash.