Review of Evile - All Hallows Eve EP

All Hallows Eve is the first offering from this young band from the UK, who prior to redefining themselves as Evile spent a few years playing Metallica covers under the moniker Metal Militia. Eventually the guys decided to try their hand at original music, but clearly it easier to change one’s name than one’s influences and sound. Evile sound like they are still ‘obeying their master’, although they are also clearly indebted to other vintage thrash acts. If a band is going to latch onto a piece of classic thrash, Master of Puppets is about as good as it gets, but it also sets the bar incredibly high, and as you would expect, Evile’s homage achieves mixed success.

While most of their peers are serving up high powered, death injected thrash, Evile benefits from the familiarity factor, and from the intro of the opener, the listener eases into a Pavlovian head nodding programmed by years of thrashing to the jewels of his collection circa 1987. The shark attack tale (who says metal bands don’t get topical?)
“Killer From the Deep” is the opener and the strongest song of the six track EP. It boasts an Exodus influenced quicker riffing that gives the song more bite (no pun intended) than those that follow. The “The Living Dead” has the chunky gait of a marriage between Slayer’s “Expendable Youth” and Metallica’s “Eye of the Beholder”. But what makes All Hallows Eve a fun listen is the same thing that keeps it from rising above average. Evile’s sound is guaranteed to catch the ear of any vintage thrash aficionado, but the young band hasn’t yet developed the songwriting tools to use that hook to their advantage. Evile will have you banging your head like it’s 1987, although there is a strong chance you will simply reach for the originals afterward.

They may be new at songwriting, but they’ve been playing long enough to hone the chops needed for the genre. The guitar work of Ol Drake takes center stage, and he sprays well placed and tasteful lead work all over the album. His guitar instrumental “Torment” is a Testament tribute, but a damn fine one. Ol’s brother Matt handles the throat work, and his solid if somewhat limited vocals give the band a sound similar to Meliah Rage, another late 80’s thrash act, although of the East Coast variety.

All Hallows Eve is a fun, if somewhat disposable listen that should be of interest to fans of the old school. It’s a good first effort, and hopefully over time the band will grow in its own direction and continue to develop as songwriters.

Release Details

Evile

All Hallows Eve EP

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