Nightfly Although they formed back in 1991 and had a reputation as a great live band in their native Sweden Evocation split up in 1993 without releasing anything more than a couple of demos. Reforming in the mid 00’s the finally got around to releasing an album in 2007. Tales From The Tomb was a solid if unspectacular record of old school mixed with melodic death metal. Helped by a better production follow up Dead Calm Chaos was a considerable improvement with stronger songs though offered nothing that hadn’t already come out of Sweden years earlier. A further two albums followed, the latter Illusions Of Grandeur sounding a bit too much like Amon Amarth for its own good at times.

Roll on to 2017 and a new guitarist Simon Exner and use of session drummer Per Moller Jensen seems to have done the band no harm. In fact The Shadow Archetype may just be their best album yet. They’ve come back with a thicker heavier sound - the riffs are more crushing as Condemned To The Grave perfectly demonstrates with less emphasis on melody. Modus Operandi quickly lets you know that Evocation still have an ear for melody though, but it still retains the requisite heaviness quota. In fact much of this album is pretty melodic but you do have to dig a bit deeper to find them in comparison to Illusions Of Grandeur. The album is well paced containing moments with plenty of groove like the title track aided by the punchy production. Sure,The Shadow Archetype isn’t the most original album you’ll hear this year but its strength lies in the sheer consistency with most songs hitting the target.

Overall then, an impressive release which at thirty eight minutes doesn’t outstay its welcome. Anyone who enjoyed their previous work and fans of Swedish death metal in general should be more than happy with this.

Kev Rowland ‘Illusions of Grandeur’ is one of my favourite albums from 2012, so I was excited to see that the guys had released a new five track EP, and intrigued when I saw that these were covers of classic songs. We have “… For Victory” (Bolt Thrower), “Corporal Jigsore Quandary” (Carcass), “You Suffer” (Napalm Death), “Enigma” (Edge Of Sanity) and “Terminal Spirit Disease” (At The Gates). All songs were recorded at the band’s own studio, while Dan Swanö took care of the mix and mastering. The band have done more than pay homage here, they have taken these and given them their own twist so that instead of sounding as if they are different bands dating back over 20 years, instead we have something that is brutal and current. True, they don’t really have a lot of time to develop this in “You Suffer”, but it still sounds brutally mighty fine.

Of course, the only way to really enjoy this is to get the 180gm vinyl 12 inch, and if you have yet to come across this incredible Death Metal act then now is the perfect time to do so.

Kev Rowland Evocation were formed as long ago as 1991 in the hotbed of metal that is Gothenburg, but after a few well-received demo tapes the band split up. Many conversations took place over the years but eventually in 2005 original members Thomas Josefsson (vocals), Vesa Kenttäkumpu (guitars), Marko Wacker Palmén (guitars), and drummer Janne Kenttäkumpu Bodén together with new bassist Martin Toresson finall got their act together, and since then they have been working at pace, releasing a series of albums. This is their first with Century Media, and also their first with new bassist Gustaf Jorde who replaced Martin earlier this year. As soon as I put this into the player I was totally blown away, and the initial question was why hadn’t I come across these guys before and where can I get all the rest of their albums?

This is brutally powerful, with a drive and passion not often heard, this really is symphonic death metal being taken to whole new levels. It isn’t often when it is just impossible to find any way to improve an album, but that is what we have here with a totally complete package. Just looking at the artwork is enough to put it on the player, and the production immediately had me searching to see who had undertaken the task (Roberto Laghi (In Flames) and Evocation themselves) as it is of the highest quality and it wouldn’t have surprised me to see the name Colin Richardson or Andy Sneap there either as this is top class. Great songs, well played, with powerful vocals and strong production who could wish for more? This is easily one of my top metal albums of the year, and is something that you need to discover for yourself – just incredible. www.centurymedia.com

J-Man Bring On the Apocalypse!

Evocation's Apocalyptic is a perfect example of a modern Swedish death metal success. Although unquestionably melodic in nature, you won't find any clean vocals, slow sections, or synth-laden passages on Apocalyptic. This album grabs you by the neck and refuses to let go, even after the playing time is long over. The melody here lies in the irresistible death metal riffs, which harkens back to the spirit of early Swedish death metal. Evocation was formed in 1991, and Apocalyptic just oozes with an amazing retro sound. If you're someone like me who loves melody in death metal, but can easily pass on the pompous keyboard orchestrations, it'd be a shame to let Apocalyptic slip through your fingers - this is one of the best "melodic" death metal releases in the last decade.

The music here is played in the true spirit of early Swedish death metal, which means nods towards bands like Grave, Edge of Sanity, or Entombed. This isn't an extremely brutal album, but instead focuses on semi-melodic riffs, memorable guitar solos, and excellent growled vocals. Apocalyptic sounds like it could've come out 15-20 years ago - it stays true to what Swedish death metal is really about (melody joined with brutality) and rarely strays away from that course. As such, Apocalyptic isn't breaking any rules, but who cares when the album kicks this much ass? Every song is very memorable, and collectively you have one of the best melodic death albums in a very long time. The 40 minute running time never drags on, but instead leaves me craving more; that's always a good thing. The musicians in Evocation are also a joy to listen to - I especially have to applaud the stellar drumming from Janne K. Boden.

The production on Apocalyptic is excellent. The drums sound excellent, the guitar is powerful and commanding, the bass effectively drives the band, and the vocals are just right in the mix. I have no complaints in terms of production; this sound is virtually perfect.

Conclusion:

Apocalyptic was my first venture into the world of Evocation, but I can assure you it won't be my last. Melodic death metal is usually a hit-and-miss genre for me, but this album proved to be a gigantic "hit". If you love early Swedish death metal and want to hear a killer album played in that style, I wouldn't miss out on Apocalyptic. 4 stars are well-deserved here. Evocation is surely a force to be reckoned with in the modern death metal scene!