Artist: Ebony Tears
Label: Black Sun Records
Release Date: 10/2/01
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Title: Evil As Hell Artist: Ebony Tears Label: Black Sun Records Release Date: 10/2/01 |
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Abyss's Review:
I must say that I had remembered Ebony Tears' last album as a much more melodic and epic affair than this new disc. I remember them sounding like old Orphanage or Opeth, or at least in that camp. That being said I was a little surprised with this new record, but I remain very pleased. This album seems to be much more straightforward than their previous efforts, and even has a somewhat hardcore edge to it. Sounds like they're going in the wrong direction? I would've thought so too, until I heard the end product. This album is straight up and American styled, but damn good and a great listen.
"This album is straight up and American styled, but damn good and a great listen." This band now has more in common with The Haunted than with the melodic Swedish metal that they used to play. That's not to say that they've given up on melody completely, it's still got its spatterings throughout the album, but the once prominent keyboards are now a rarity, and the clean vocals are also in short supply. This description might make long time fans anxious for the sheer fact that Tortura Insominae was such a great record that to tamper with their sound could prove disastrous.
But the undeniable fact is that this record is just as good as the last one, it's just a little different. It's heavier, relying more on rhythm and riff, but it's still painstakingly crafted and extraordinarily written. Every song will be someone's favorite, and each has a driving riff that gets you pumping your horns in the air and banging your head. The vocals are screamed, with a slight growl, and the lyrics are easily understood and well thought out. The few times that melody is used, it remains memorable and dynamic, and often complements the accompanying riff perfectly.
"Every song will be someone's favorite, and each has a driving riff that gets you pumping your horns in the air and banging your head." This album is just a great all-around release that deserves a place in the collection of every serious metalhead. And while I still wonder why the Ebony Tears that I remember is different now, I welcome and embrace this new effort. I'll be listening to this one for a long time to come. One word review: Awesome.
Death's Review:
I didn't know anything about Ebony Tears until getting assigned to review Evil as Hell. I'm glad I fucking did. This is killer metal, with sick, thrashy riffs and intricate guitar work. This is Machine Head's Burn My Eyes meets At the Gates meets Meshuggah meets Soilwork. Thrash styled guitars with a Scandinavian-sounding influence. Pulverizing riffs and heavily distorted guitars. Aggressive, growling/screaming vocals. Yet throughtout, a subtle sense of melody and songwriting focus. Everything coming together, yet everything chaotically sounding as if it were complex enough to mandate a pertual existence on the verge of coming apart. This is Testament and Fabulous Disaster Exodus mixed with In Flames, Fear Factory and Witchery. I think the modern Euro-death thrashers (think The Haunted?) among you all will appreciate this. I know I do.
Of course the vocals are somewhat lacking, not in expressiveness but surely in range, sometimes sounding like Chaos A.D. Max Cavalera trying to sing more and spaz out more. The album's production is good, in terms of the tones of the instruments themselves as well as their relative balance in the mix. The snare drum snap, the deep toms, and the old-school SF-thrash style "chug-chug" guitar sound really work for me. The minimal lead tracks are searing too. But the whole thing sounds a bit muted overall, and this definitely detracts a notch from my enjoyment of the record. But still, the songs, the riffs and the overall tightness of the band's execution, coupled with the expressive, downtuned and heavily bended or extended-chord layered thrashy riffing sounds fantastic and totally makes me wish I was playing it.
"The songs, the riffs and the overall tightness of the band's execution, coupled with the expressive, downtuned and heavily bended or extended-chord layered thrashy riffing sounds fantastic and totally makes me wish I was playing it." I had heard of mellow intros and a Gothenberg sound. What I got was a killer modern thrash metal album from Europe, and so far I'm digging it more than The Haunted or Witchery-probably 'cause, like Soilwork, I like the riffs and the guitar playing. Not perfect, but pretty damn good.
Hel's Review:
You all know that, as a general rule, I enjoy Swedish melodic death metal. The evolution of the style is historical fact, and occurred at a time when U.S. music was dominated by "grunge" and as a result, I, unfortunate American that I am, was left in the dust by this movement. I have spent the intervening years trying to catch up. Occasionally, I still run into a band that I had heard of, but had not had the opportunity to appreciate. Ebony Tears on one such band.
"The album is called Evil as Hell - how much more metal can a moniker get? Go, get it now." And what a band they are! Brutal, yet melodic, yet incredibly heavy - Evil as Hell embodies all that I appreciate about the style. I generally try to choose favorite tracks for albums that I enjoy, but this is an impossible task in this case. Each song has its own strong merits, yet are distinct from one another. This record is extremely well crafted, and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. I will have to go back now and check out the rest of their catalog. You, metal reader, should go and discover this one as well. If you are, for some strange reason, still unconvinced, consider this: the album is called Evil as Hell - how much more metal can a moniker get? Go, get it now.
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