EP REVIEW: In For The Kill – Evil Invaders

Despite their debut full-length album being released last year, Belgium thrashers EVIL INVADERS are back again with a new EP. Titled In For The Kill, this serves as a nice addition for fans who are wanting more breakneck tunes but does the EP hold its own to warrant attention?

The EP opens with As Life Slowly Fades and instantly the listener is hurtled into a whirlwind of riffs and breakneck drumming from Senne Jacobs. The guitar play on offer here from Max Mayhem and Jöe Anus is a joy to behold, with excellent chugging riffs and piercing drops, it carries the pace of the track at breakneck speed and keeps heads banging ferociously. Jöe‘s vocal deliveries are slick and laced with venom, it’s ultimate speed metal worship, but As Life Slowly Fades showcases the sheer intensity EVIL INVADERS have at their disposal.

Very much in the same vein as the opening track, Raising Hell has enough bite its delivery to be thoroughly enjoyable. The bass tones Joeri van de Schoot are thick and carry the meat of the track whilst Jöe Anus again excels with some slick and rapid vocal lines. The speed here is full-throttle for the majority of the track’s duration; riffs are intense and the guitar solo from Max Mayhem is a whirlwind of blistering notes. What is on offer here is nothing new or original but it showcases EVIL INVADERS clearly understanding the blueprint of what makes thrash and speed metal so enjoyable.

The latter half of the EP is two live tracks from the band’s back catalogue. Pulses of Pleasure and Victim of Sacrifice. As far as live tracks on a record go, both are adequate in their delivery. Lacking the studio polish of the new material, the live tracks lack that bite and top-level aggression but despite this, they demonstrate that the band have what it takes to replicate their breakneck sound in the live environment.

What’s frustrating with In For The Kill is that really, this is an EP with only ten minutes of new material. The inclusion of the live tracks unfortunately feels like an easy option rather than packing the record with purely new songs. Despite this, the new material showcases EVIL INVADERS doing what they do best; fast and ferocious thrash metal.

Rating: 7/10

In For The Kill is set for release on September 30th on Napalm Records. 

Like EVIL INVADERS on Facebook.