optisailor2002 When Metallica released their "comeback" album, Death Magnetic in 2008, Evile came highly recommended by a friend who was into bands like Metallica as well, claiming that Evile sounded exactly like Metallica. Despite that, and numerous recommendations to listen to Evile, I kept putting it off since Death Magnetic bore me out easily with the long and almost uninspired sounding tracks. However, with Five Serpent's Teeth (and my recent foray into thrash metal), I decided to finally give Evile a chance and gave it a few good listens.

And right from the opening track Five Serpent's Teeth, the comparisons to Metallica became extremely clear to me. The introductory section sounded like what the band would have written back in the 80s, and as the song begins proper, the riffs sound like it could easily come off a track like Battery. If that wasn't sufficient enough to prove the comparisons, just wait for Matt's vocals to come in, sounding extremely similar to James Hetfield not only in terms of his vocal quality, but also in how he chooses to articulate his words and his style of barking out of the lyrics. The riffs of Matt and Ol all sound like Metallica-worship, with references to earlier Metallica material extremely clear and obvious in most of the tracks, and Ol's guitar solos alternate between the chaotic style of Slayer's Kerry King and that of Kirk Hammett. Even drummer Ben's style is reminiscent of Lars Ulrich, with drumming patterns that are a fitting tribute to him., though Ben includes a considerably higher amount of energy in his drumming.

Songwriting-wise, the band also seems to follow the path in the later Metallica stuff, with half of the material on the album being rather mid-paced, rather than the frantic pace that bands like Exodus and Slayer prefer, though the influences from these other Bay Area thrash bands also appear throughout the album, such as on Origin of Oblivion where a Slayer-esque riff greets the listener. Songs like In Dreams of Terror also bring in some melodic moments in the middle of the track, preventing things from getting too dry on the album. There is even a ballad In Memoriam present, like most Metallica albums do.

Unfortunately, the album suffers from being slightly too repetitive, and Matt's vocals tend to get slightly irritating after a few songs, with his monotonous style, and songs on Five Serpent's Teeth lack the charm and hooks that make it memorable, with few songs and moments that really stick in the listener's head even after numerous listens, though the brilliant guitar solo work on the album by Ol and the few faster and energetic tracks like Eternal Empire certainly save the album.

If you found Metallica's Death Magnetic, and the shit that is Lulu disappointing, perhaps you could find some solace in Evile's Five Serpent's Teeth, as they do the Metallica worship extremely convincingly. Or you could simply go back to the early Metallica albums when they did not suck yet.

Originally written for http://www.heavymetaltribune.com/

Stephen EVILE turns their head to METALLICA here and what I'm trying to say is that EVILE probably sounds more METALLICA than the original band themselves, just like GRAND DESIGN and DEF LEPPARD case. Not only the whole sound but even Matt Drake sang like James Hetfield. Last time I checked, 'Infected Nations' did have that Bay Area vibe, but 'Five Serpent's Teeth' really worship that single god and the output is very much a cross of 'Kill em All' and '..and Justice For All', with a hint of KREATOR and SLAYER's aggressive stance.

I don't have any issue with that, a young band playing something classic they love, and me hearing something I love, is definitely what we called 'a click'. Looks like EVILE intended to stay in the Bay thrash revival scene and don't wanna mess with any modern ground. The title track, the grooviness of 'In Dreams of Terror', or the best song here, ‘Cult’, are among the winners. 'Origin of Oblivion' is also fantastic, the assaulting tempo with acrobatic riffs is too good to be true.

I must admit there are few bumpy tracks. 'Eternal Empire' is quite decent and 'Xaraya' is a failed attempt of EVILE tickling with modern thrash style. That only strengthen the fact that they excel at playing the old style. The last four tracks pick up the momentum. 'Centurion' is my fave, the tempo is cleverly building up and the chorus is just excellent. 'In Memoriam' kinda reminds me to 'Nothing Else Matter', 'Descent Into Madness' and 'Long Live New Flesh' are precious as well.

If you think you had enough with METALLICA's descendants or simply prefer to just listen to their old albums, 'Five Serpent's Teeth' might not a good idea to buy, but if you appreciate the current thrash revival scene and eager to see how the young band evolve, I'll say this album won't disappoint you at all. 80%

Stephen "Infected Nations" is the sophomore album of the British young thrash act that's released in 2009 under Earache. This is sadly, the last album with Mike Alexander who died while on tour just weeks after the release. Joel Graham replaced the spot to make sure the continuity of Evile's existence. Their debut, "Enter The Grave", was praised by fans as a great thrash album but also was criticized for being too close to the American Bay Area bands, and now "Infected Nations" answered the call by introducing a more original approach but still rooted to their influences, Sepultura, Metallica, and Testament.

The problem with this album is probably they're just too young and less-experienced to be experimenting with a high dose of original compositions, making most of the songs lack of something punchy, memorable, and potential to become classics. Out of 9 tracks presented here, I found three strong tracks : the title track with an explosive chorus and featured a smart combination of brutal and relaxing tempo; "Devoid of Thought", with a brutal rhythm and in a corridor of classic thrash riffage; and the peak of the album, "Time No More", an upbeat classic headbanging tune with a terrorizing riffs. Matt Drake's singing style is a cross of Max Cavalera and James Hetfield which made this album sounded close to early 90s Sepultura and Metallica.

Several potential songs that should have done better are the mid-tempo "Now Demolition", the 7-minutes piece of "Genocide", and the grinding "Plague To End All Plagues". The last two songs, in my opinion, are a wasteful effort. "Metamorphosis" actually has a good moment and lots of changing tempo, but somewhat I felt it's just too long and tends to be boring. The closing track is also a dull and skippable instrumental track. Bottom line, "Infected Nations" is still an enjoyable release but still far from essential. However, this album shows their bravery of inventing their own sound, probably the next album will be better.