Evil Survives - Powerkiller

September 23, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

Release Date: March 28, 2010
Label: Heavy Artillery Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Resist the Exorcism
2.  Creature of Sin
3.  Judas Priest Live
4.  Die like a Samurai
5.  Ferria Pueala
6.  The Descent into Hades

Total playing time:  42:32

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*Comments:

Heavy Artillery has been making its presence known of late with the addition of some seriously heavy bands to its growing roster like Spellcaster, Enforcer, Vektor and Canada’s Evil Survives. The latter unleashes its sophomore effort Powerkiller to a resounding fury. The true Canadian underground is emerging once more.

At times vocalist Karl Warkentin meshes the styles between the low register of Bruce Dickinson and the high booming wailing of Bon Scott to a very swift degree, making the performance both enjoyable and heavy as all hell. This traditional heavy style has been making its comeback in recent months and Evil Survives combines the best of the NWOBHM sound with “typically Americanized” heavy music from the early 80’s. The not-yet-antiquated sounds that made bands like Metal Church, early Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate so resonating are all prevalent here on Powerkiller, a fast-moving, energy-laden trip through high vocals, blazing riffs, articulate guitar solos and necessary time changes.       

For the many of us out here that are sick and tired of this blasé, ineffectual “second wave” of garbage coming up from the sewer system of the music industry, Evil Survives is a pleasant change of scenery. “Die Like a Samurai” is as close to Killers­-era Maiden as it can get without complete carbon dating, as is the wicked instrumental “Ferria Pueala” and it’s so amazing to hear a modern band do this and do it well. The Judas Priest Live EP that came out last year was a bright spot of things to eventually come from this album, and they delivered accordingly. Without pretense or foreign device trickery, Powerkiller allows you to have fun and just rage while ingesting some quality metal music. You can tell from the music herein that these guys are genuinely having fun with their music, yet they believe highly in what they’re putting out, and that’s always a plus in today’s era of ‘phone-it-all-in’. The quality of the sound is also of high caliber with every instrument clear in the mix and vital to the ear.

Standouts here are “Creature of Sin”, “Dragonslayer” and the epic “The Descent into Hades”, but there isn’t a weakness here at all. Each song can easily be a favorite and listened to in rapid succession at any given time. The old school of heavy metal music cannot be equaled when bands like Accept, Maiden, Judas Priest and Anvil have erased all of the original blueprints. However, in building anew you must observe the old, and Evil Survives is a contemporary visual back to a time that was pure, exciting and integral.