Possessed by Evil (凶惡)

The fact that it took me so long to get around to a band simply called Evil is a bit stunning. But here we have it, and no less, one right out of Tokyo, Japan! Evil have been around since 2011, having put out two full-lengths, the latter of the two hitting early this year. Titled Possessed By Evil, this is a mean slab of black/thrash grit that comes around a few times a year and makes a simp out of me.

Almost every time, these things are executed in the same vein as one another, yet still manage to have a unique charm. For starters, the poor layering actually enhances the rawness of this, as all of the instruments can stand out when needed. Looking at “Revenge,” you get a paralyzing solo to shoot above the grating core, and in the following track “Raizin” there’s some extra stellar drum work that pops. The varying writing helps as well, as the latter injects some tight rock ‘n roll-isms in the riffing structures themselves. “Bottom Of Hell” paints this on nicely with a far slower approach, and the vocal rasps are sharper than ever here. But the one that does this the most directly is “Enmaten,” leading with a super bouncy bass-lick.

So it should also go without saying that Possessed By Evil is also pretty damn catchy. I find the flow to be pretty interesting because of how swiftly things get more aggressive towards the middle of the record. You even get shorter, punky blasts for a hot minute, topped with a cartoony yet badass title like “Hell’s Evil Blades.” “Paramount Evil” and “Reaper” are so hot and to-the-point with a speed metal aesthetic that they almost work together as one massive banger. I know I already mentioned the drums, but man are those blasts ever ferocious on these tracks!

Easy as it may be to paint black/thrash as a one-dimensional style, it’s also easy to crank out riffs that use it to their advantage. Evil are one of the ones that make their charm stand tall, and I’m very grateful that this came across my radar. Fans of Hellripper, Skeleton, Black Mass, and the likes should certainly give this their time.