Unholy Evil Metal
Evil Angel
And the same thing needs to be said (and written) once more: no one can give continuity to a musical work that was left behind by its rightful owner. That means that you can love Metal in any epoch of the past you want, but you won't be a new SODOM, SLAYER, KREATOR, VENOM, DESTRUCTION, HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST, MOTÖRHEAD or other. You are left with only one thing in your hands: be yourself when creating music! Those are the right words to write about "Unholy Evil Metal", the second album from Finnish quintet EVIL ANGEL.
The band isn't bad at all, but they are tormented (in the bad sense of the words) by Thrash/Black Metal from the 80's, especially by the German trio Big three (namely DESTRUCTION, SODOM and KREATOR) and CELTIC FROST. Their music shows energy, of course, but it's filled almost entirely of clichés from the 80's, and the lack of an individual identity is sensible. They're good, indeed, but need to improve a lot, to show who they really are. The right feeling that the album bears is that the band members were hearing "Obsessed by Cruelty", "Persecution Mania" and "Morbid Tales" as they were working on their songs.
The sound quality is another vein try to be like those ancients from the past. Sorry, but this doesn't work today, doesn't fit, because sounding hollow and outdated isn't the same of like sounding raw and organic. The same words again: why these bands on this way never call Joel Grind (from TOXIC HOLOCAUST) to produce, mix and master their albums? He does a fine work in these ways, and with bands with a Black/Thrash/Death Metal in the 80's ways, he is the right person for the work.
A set of nine songs permeated with endless clichés awaits the listener. To those that aren't fans with a long musical experience, songs as "Necro Black Mass" (a sharp song, full of energy), the piledriving tempos of "UGH!" and "Nuclear Hammer", the critical rhythmic mass of "Sacrificial Slaughter", and bitter and filled with rusty feeling guitars of "Crawling from the Grave" will be a delight, but to those that are into Metal for more than 25 years, the lack of musical identity of the band will be a problem.
"Unholy evil Metal" is the second album of EVIL ANGEL, so let's hope that they can find the right improvements for their musical work. It would be a waste for Metal such talented band lose time being a wannabe version of the old masters. They can be masters themselves.
6 / 10
Had Potential
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Unholy Evil Metal" Track-listing:
1. Necro Black Mass
2. Christ Decays
3. UGH!
4. Nuclear Hammer
5. Legions of Armageddon
6. Sacrificial Slaughter
7. Bestial Necromancer
8. Crawling from the Grave
9. Ritual Sacrifice
Evil Angel Lineup:
Orgasmatron - Vocals
Dr. Evil - Guitars
Von Bastard - Guitars
Revenant - Bass
TooLoud - Drums
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