Huddersfield thrashers Evile released their sophomore album Infected Nations not five days ago and in the Islington Academy, there's a palpable excitement in the air.
Having been riding the crest of a wave for a long time now, there's a sense that this may be the last chance to catch the foursome in a venue this small and the cramped confines will soon give way to large scale concerts as they take their rightful place alongside the big guns. Before they hit the stage though, there's the small matter of the support acts to get through.
Speed Theory And Mutant: Live In London
First off are local lads Speed Theory. A far heavier proposition than the other acts tonight, they straddle the line between thrash and death metal with a couple of lighter bits thrown in for breathing space. And they are absolutely, blindingly awesome. The musical equivalent of Skynet going berserk, they get the still-quite-sober audience worked up nicely and their unabashed enthusiasm ensures a loud cheer at the finale.
Mutant on the other hand are a bit more tongue in cheek. Mixing Kreator-style heaviness with a Gama Bomb sense of humour, they appear to have brought a few friends along tonight and successfully trigger a massive circle pit mere minutes into the set. "This next song is called Suuuuper-computer," screams the frontman and suddenly the entire front row is grinning from ear-to-ear. Is there room for one more party thrash band at the table? Well definitely, though a slightly better band name wouldn't go amiss.
Evile: Infected Nations Unleashed!
By the time Evile finally arrive onstage just before nine, the crowd is pumped up with alcohol and testosterone and it takes all of two seconds before half the floor space has devolved into primordial violence.
Watching them tonight, it's amazing to think that this is a band who are still relatively young and only just on their second album. As a band they encapsulate all that is great about the thrash resurgence, youth, energy and a string of terrific songs.
Thrasher for example is THE anthem of the new school movement, a rapid fire salvo of thunderous fretboard punishment and fist-pumping gang chants. Mindless aggression is all very well and good, but they also hit the bullseye when it comes to sinister, Slayer-esque melodies, the intro to We Who Are About To Die sending a collective shiver up every spine in the room.
With tonight being a album launch party, there is a wealth of material from Infected Nations to air alongside existing favourites. This close to the release however, not everybody has had a chance to hear it and there is a noticeable drop in the energy whenever they play an unfamiliar track. Now Demolition gets a suitably lairy response thanks to its early release onto the Internet, but it's nowhere near the mayhem that erupts when Armoured Assault comes storming over the horizon.
Evile Live: The Verdict
When it comes down to it though, Evile showed very clearly why they are destined for greatness tonight. The high speed run through of Enter The Grave that closes proceedings (ignoring the curfew) sees one particularly burly bloke stage diving multiple times while hair flies everywhere and shirtless lunatics pummel each other with all the ferocity of a cage-free UFC fight.
More metal than a Gorilla beating up a Viking, this was a great night and sure to be remembered as a key moment in their career.
