Belgian thrash and speed metal four piece Evil Invaders are an in your face bunch. Having been blown away by their debut full length “Pulses Of Pleasure” last year, a stunning display of blistering paced riffery and flashy leads which scream forth like a Delorean coming right out of the 80’s with a trail of fire in its wake, things would only get bigger and better for this band. Filling the gap whilst they work on the next release, this wild and untamed outfit have dropped a lovely E.P for us featuring two brand new tracks and two high quality live performances of tracks from the first album. Without further delay, let’s get killing!
The obligatory harmonic whammy bar stunt work with wailing feedback opens up the first new track “As Life Slowly Fades” and as the riffs start to come in, you can already see the crowds preparing to charge if this was a live gig. Wild sounding solos and cutting speed metal riffs in the vein of Annihilator provide the musical focus and the classic air raid siren vocals along with the tight as hell rhythm section round it all off and tie it together. With well-placed vocal lines, venomous in the delivery and some hard hitting sections, it takes no prisoners. Musically similar to the first album, especially with the melodic forays into the classic NWOBHM styled sound to add that extra edge to the release, it’s a great track on all fronts and serves as the perfect opener for this release.
“Raising Hell” lives up to its name. With a big build feel intro and some real sinister vocals to start it off, it has a much darker edge compared to the usual sound of the band. With a very small hint of crossover thrash in its sound, it has that hard, fast and slightly loose feel to it, drawing some tonal similarities to Suicidal Tendencies and D.R.I but retaining that classic thrash edge in the vein of Anthrax and early Slayer. Hammering away, the tight rhythmic assault forms a sturdy foundation for the harsh vocal delivery and the more thrashy riffs which are well paced give it a thicker sound but of course, we cannot forget the lead work. Technically sound and fluid, it dances across this heavy backdrop with ease, adding that piercing quality which was prominent on the first album.
The live rendition of “Pulses Of Pleasure” is delightful, fully living up to the hard hitting theatrical dimensions of the recorded version, with added ‘Mother Fuckers’ for good measure. Proving that they can recreate the studio sound with minimal fuss, it rushes forwards, cutting through all in its path. The wailing vocals don’t lose any of their power or quality in the live setting and it all sounds tight as hell, never once losing the feel of the studio version.
Closing the fun and games on this short dose of speed metal is “Victim Of Sacrifice” and much like the previous track, it is a fearsome live entity. Blistering riffs, cutting vocals, thunderous bass and tight drums all lay a solid foundation musically and the vocals once again live up to the recorded version. It is like listening to classic Slayer but with crossover friendly vocals, just an unrelenting assault of riffs and vocals cutting through everything in its path and showing no mercy!
In all, for fans of Evil Invaders, this E.P will serve to satisfy the cravings for more material from the band whilst it serves as a fantastic introduction to the band for those new to them. With a taste of things to come along with two stunning live renditions of two of the most intense tracks from their debut full length, “In For The Kill” lives up to its name but going straight for the jugular. Thrash and Speed metal fans, grab your denims, your hi-tops and your bullet belts… It’s almost time to party!
(8.5/10 Fraggle)
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