Review: Evilyn Strange – Evilution (EP)

Thirteen772 Music (2016)

Reviewer: Dan Mann

Evilyn Strange are a new band to me, I wasn’t aware of their 2013 debut ‘Mourning Phoebe‘. Always like checking out the ‘unknown’ as you do stumble across some real gems.

Well thankfully this is one of those aforementioned gems. Why? Well quite simply while they keep within certain boundaries they are different enough for me to take notice. Too many bands & projects sound the same so it’s always refreshing to here something else.

Kicking off with ‘Let It Rain‘ and after a quick frenetic drum intro by ‘The Ghost‘ (no I don’t know why he’s called that) we’re greeted with Philip Strange‘s vocals. As I’ve said a thousand and one times, don’t like the vocals then I will struggle to like the track. The album has a multitude of influences, elements of hard rock, laced with old school speed metal in parts. Maybe it shouldn’t work, but it does for me.

Track two, ‘Invisible Man‘ has that classic chugging riff, great guitar work by Mikael Johannesson, a great arrangement with a few twists and turns.

‘Storm Clouds‘ certainly doesn’t hide it’s speed metal influences as your dragged in kicking and screaming! Always been a sucker for old school speed metal so yep great stuff.

‘Never‘ slows things down somewhat but the heavy riff is still evident, although there are hints of blues rock in the guitar segments.

And so to the last track of the EP, ‘Stay‘. Another slow track, far more laid back, more melodic rock. I personally think it suits Philip’s voice more than the previous tracks, a nice inclusion on the album.

So if you fancy something which manages not to sound like ‘everything else’ then do check it out.