ALBUM REVIEW: The Unknown – Evile
UK thrashers EVILE defied all the odds and came surging back with a vengeance with their phenomenal Hell Unleashed album back in 2021. With their foot placed firmly on the pedal once again it is almost time for the eagerly anticipated follow-up entitled The Unknown which is due for release on July 14th via Napalm Records. What will the quartet have in store for us this time around?
The Unknown decides against going full throttle from the first bell, instead opting for haunting melodies and a stomping pace. The addictive, crisp hooks have a nostalgic vibe of 90s METALLICA as frontman Ol Drake pushes his vocal boundaries to even more impressive heights – an unexpected but welcome treat to kick off this release. The Mask We Wear follows suit with monstrously heavy riff work and pounding drum beats. An intricate flair is sprinkled around this track to offer a shift in dynamics. Monolith possesses a ponderous yet menacing stride that meanders into doom territories, injecting alluring grooves into the mix during the chorus sequences.
When Mortal Coils Shed selects a more melodic yet melancholic pallet with which to paint its emotive artistry. The lyrical narrative holds you in its captivating grasp as it whisks you away through its chapters. Sleepless Eyes blindsides you with an onslaught of familiarly rapid shredding and blistering drumming showing the quartet have zero intention of leaving their firmly embedded roots behind. Out Of Sight keeps a tight hold of that intensity and confidently charges onwards with tongue twistlingly swift vocal deliveries; it’s short, impactful, and does exactly what it needs to.
At Mirror’s Speech combines the best of both worlds as sledgehammer-like stomps and tremolo picking collide to create a devastating pairing. Reap What You Sow brings the thunder with rumbling bass lines and a distinct catchiness running through its veins. If the beat doesn’t get your head moving then you may as well be declared dead. Beginning Of The End fills your ears with a cacophony of ramblings that lead the way for a dramatic, ebbing and flowing prose. The powerful, melodic vocal lines really shine amongst this arrangement. Balance Of Time gears up for one final flourish of face-melting ferocity. Steaming ahead like a raging bull, your best move is to get the hell out of the way. That’s one way of wrapping up an album!
EVILE have provided a crystal clear example that speed isn’t always necessary to create a scintillating thrash album. The Unknown embarks on a voyage into untouched lands and leaves an emphatic footprint in its wake. The door of opportunity has been well and truly opened for the future and has ushered in a very exciting era in the history of one of the UK’s most revered metal collectives.
Rating: 9/10
The Unknown is set for release on July 14th via Napalm Records.
Like EVILE on Facebook.