With a portfolio of three albums, one of them under their previous name of Fuoco Fatuo, I would expect a certain proficiency and direction from the Sicilian band Eversin. “Tears on the Face of God” indeed is a work born out of old school metal with a clear aspiration to create something dark and atmospheric. To enhance the experience, there’s a guest appearance by Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan of Atomkraft and Venom and by Simone Mularoni, guitarist of Italian prog-power metal band DGM.
I can see that Eversin shaped this album to make it something quite unique and epic. Whether they entirely get there is debatable. Undoubtedly there’s a battle-like quality about these eight tracks but I did find myself wondering at times if anything was going to happen. “For the Glory of Men” is undoubtedly the preparation for battle although what children giggling has to do with Germany invading Poland remains a mystery. The melody is good but not devastating. It’s not good to start with a pointless track, which I thought this was. “Prophet of Peace” was a bit trite. It’s one of those “I am the …” tracks which are supposed to be anthemic but need power, which was lacking. To be fair the atmosphere is dark and cloudy and the guitar work in common with other parts of this album has a sort of 70s psychedelic feel about it. Angst-driven vocals and whisperings suggest a nervous tension. Amidst an old school metal ambiance, there’s a mixed message here and I wasn’t sure what we were driving at.
“Nightblaster” is the one with Tony Dolan. It’s a dirty song with crusty instrumentals to match. The riffage is irregular and interesting. As we move on to the title track, the vocalist rants his way through a wild guitar journey – definitely a strength – and the jungle of harshness and melody which can be captivating. This track has an edgy side which others suggest but don’t always achieve. I loved the riff on this track and generally throughout the album. For me, Eversin then spoilt it with “Nuclear Winter”. The spoken parts don’t add any atmosphere but I finally came to the conclusion that the vocals are not for effect but just plain awful. The track itself seems to have no purpose or direction. “Death Inc” which follows is the highlight. There’s an excellent patient build-up and this chunky track achieves a threat level which is sporadic on this patchy metal album. “The Tale of a Dying Soldier” keeps up the momentum with a level of creepiness, thunder and exciting guitar work with the help of Mr Mularoni. “Under the Ocean” ends the album and reverts to the enigmatic and directionless mix which does seem to be a feature.
Make no mistake, this is a proper metal album and it is clear that through its mix of old school and unusual structures Eversin make the effort to put their stamp on it and not sound like anyone else. I appreciated it but I can’t say I enjoyed it particularly, as the structures lacked definition in places and I really didn’t like the vocals. “Tears on the Face of God” had good points but isn’t a cohesive work.
(5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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