Evile - Skull (2013)

Out of all the bands that has emerged from the new wave of thrash metal in the 21st century, I feel that Evile is the band that has captured the perfect combination between old and new in their music. With the mix of skillful guitar playing and raw strength, Evile has been one of my personal favourites in the thrash world. They have so far in their career released three albums. The ground breaking "Enter The Grave", the stable (but slightly boring) "Infected Nation" and the more versatile "Five Serpent's Teeth". Three album that have different shapes, but still has a bond that is recognizable as the Evile sound. "Skull" is the family's fourth member and I for one could not wait to see what Evile had in store for us this time.

"Skull" is straight from the start coming forth with typical Evile thrash in the lovely track "Underworld". A song that headbutts you with hard hitting riffs, a catchy chorus, and a very fitting guitar solo. A marvelous track that kicks off "Skull" in the right direction, even though the band could have put in a little more aggression into the track to make it complete. That aggression is instead found in the following title track together with fine musicianship.

But there is only one track on "Skull" that holds a mountain high standard, and that song is "The Naked Sun". A speedy beat, great riffing and a chorus made for sing a longs. These are the three reasons to why "The Naked Sun" stands out and shatters the competition. It may not be the hardest song nor the fastest, but it is a killer of a song. Only complaint here is the unnecessarily long outro.

After that, the six remaining songs shifts in quality. From the heavy, but slow, "Head of The Demon" to the adrenaline rush "Outsider", Evile is showing their full register in "Skull", just like they did in "Five Serpent's Teeth". They even fit in a Metallica ballad called "Tomb", and it is surprisingly good since Evile is not so associated with that sound (they did however release a similar track called "In Memoriam" as a tribute for their deceased band mate Mike Alexander in FST, and it was also surprisingly good).

Even though I like when a band is showing some variation, I still feel that there is something missing in "Skull". I cannot put my finger into it, but one theory is that this record is a lot like its predecessor, which takes away a lot of the thrill. In conclusion, "Skull" does not have a strong enough personality too make it stand out for it self. It is just a album among others.

"Skull" will not disappoint any fans of Evile, but it will probably not make you do a back flip out of shear joy either. The band is, more or less, going on pure routine and tries to make their existing sound as perfect as possible. Nothing wrong with that, only problem is that the song material is slightly weak and predictable. Still, "Skull" is enjoyable and if you are a fan of both old school and new thrash, then "Skull" is a good choice.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Naked Sun, Underworld, Outsider

Rating: 6,5/10 Tombs