Eternal Evil – The Gates Beyond Mortality
Reviewed by: Jim Harrison
Review Score: 9.0
Swedish black thrash band Eternal Evil who meld a 1980’s thrash experience with a Scandinavian black metal vibe are set to release their second full length album The Gates Beyond Mortality on October 27, via Listenable Records.
This album has a massive sound that I can only compare to a much darker, earlier Slayer album. The writing is focused on themes of occult practices and the violence of warfare.
This is a great follow up to their 2021 release The Warriors Awakening… Brings the Unholy Slaughter. Their first self-released demo EP Rise To Death in 2019 sold well signaling how strong this band is. Members Adrian Tobar, vocals/lead guitar, Tobias Lindstrom, lead guitar, Niklas Saari, bass, Adam Schmidt, drums create such a fast, old school, dark sound that is so cool to hear in 2023.
The album begins with an instrumental song ‘Depths Of A New Eternity’ that has a slower pace with a cool guitar riff which feels more like a warning of the thrashing you are about to receive. Second track ‘Guerilla Warfare’ blasts off like a rocket. This song is fast and is an awesome example of the Slayer sound. The guitars in this track are fantastic .
‘The Gates Beyond Mortality’ starts off slower and then speeds up with a wicked guitar sound. The drums and bass pound this track into submission and mix so well with the vocals. This is an early single release and acts as an awesome teaser on how cool this album sounds. ‘Funeral Prayers’ has a more dark doom sound to it. The punchy drums and guitar create a cool flow and the vocals create a definite Venom vibe. This is another early release single.
‘Signs Of Ancient Sin’ is one of my two favourite tracks off this album. The aggressive vocals really shine and I like the change ups that keep the listener wondering where this song will go. This song is like a punch to the face. ‘Desecration Of Light’ is my second favourite track with a killer guitar and drum intro. This track sounds fantastic and is probably the fastest song on the album. Again, the vocals on this track are killer and would be a great song to see live.
‘The Astral Below’ has another cool intro making you think things are about to slow down and then the guitar rips in and the cool drum beat kicks it into orbit.
The second last track ‘Immolation’ is another fast track that shows how talented this band is with a massive thrash sound which definitely gives you an earworm. This leads into the last song ‘The Cursed Trilogy’ which is the longest track on the album at seven minutes, twenty nine seconds. This song has so many awesome parts to it that you actually feel like it’s a trilogy. What a great ending to a metal experience. I like how it slows down and has a cool guitar at about the three minute mark and then it just gallops off the grid, getting heavier by the second. What a great finish to one hell of an album.
What I love about this band is they aren’t trying to reinvent something but in turn have mastered the sound of what I believe metal fans want to hear. The early thrash sound set to a darker death metal vibe makes total sense and this is nothing short of genius.
I recommend this to all metal fans as it has something for everyone. One thing is for sure, this has to be played loud!