Evocation - Apocalyptic

Evocation trace their lineage to the early 90’s, when they released a pair of demos before disbanding and becoming little more than a footnote in the annals of death metal.  These guys have been back for a while though, announcing their return with 2007’s Tales From The Tomb, and following up with two more full lengths, the latest being Apocalyptic.  I hadn’t really gotten around to checking these guys out until now, but given their history I was expecting a pretty straight forward death metal album.  This is actually something of a unique take on the Swedish sound, mashing the thicker guitar tone and aggression of the early Stockholm scene with some of the melodic elements that were pioneered by the Gothenburg bands.   

I think that how this album is received will depend partly on what the listener is expecting going into it.   If you are expecting to be beaten over the head with good old fashion death metal you might initially be disappointed, of course those expecting to hear the clean tones of modern melodic death metal will be in for a surprise too.  Thankfully, Evocation manages to blend these two styles into something that does both justice.  Album opener “Sweet Obsession” leans to the melodic side, but the thick meaty guitar tone hints at more aggressive moments later in the album.  The balance between the two styles shifts from song to song, but Evocation are at their best when the less refined elements of their music take center stage.  “Infamy” for example, chugs and gallops all over the place, but features a nicely placed melodic bridge section that really adds something to the song.  Thomas Josefsson’s vocals fall into lock step with the rest of the music, toeing the line between a more guttural traditional death metal vocal and the higher pitched growl that is often favored by more melodic bands. 

There isn’t really a lot to complain about here; Apocalyptic is a solid and somewhat unique death metal album, but it might lack a little staying power. Evocation really caught my attention with their little melodic curveball, but I expected that I would end up likening the album better than I did.  My initial reaction to this album was overwhelmingly positive, but repeated listens muted my enthusiasm a bit.  Once I adjusted to the band’s sound, It just seemed like the album had a lot of good songs on it, but few truly memorable ones. 

It is nice to hear a melodic death metal band that actually still sounds like death metal.  Apocalyptic should really strike a chord with people who enjoy both styles, and I expect that it will grow on death metal purists with repeated listens.  Still, despite having a lot of good things to say about Apocalyptic, I can’t help but feel that something is missing, something almost intangible that makes it difficult for me to get into the album as much as I would like.  I think that these guys still have some untapped potential, and I will be following them in the future.

Release Date: November 9th, 2010
Label: Metal Blade/Cyclone Empire

TRACK LISTING

1.  Sweet Obsession 
2.  We Are Unified Insane
3.  Infamy 
4.  Parasites 
5.  Reunion in War 
6.  Psychosis Warfare
7.  Murder in Passion
8.  It Is All Your Fault
9.  Curse on the Creature
10.  Apocalyptic

Total playing time:  39:29

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Reviewer: Garett

January 23, 2011