Deadlands
Evilution

Label: Massacre Records
Three similar bands: Consfearacy/Vicious Rumors/Nevermore
Ratings: HHHHHHH (3/7)
Reviewer: Daniel Källmalm
Tracks
01. Pandemic Genocide
02. Deadlands
03. Ground And Pound
04. Final Solution
05. She's On Fire
06. Asphyxiate The Masses
07. Path We've Chosen
08. Gone Wrong
09. Legions Of The Damned
10. Shed My Skin


Band:
Brian O'Connor - Vocals
Michael J. Gardner - Lead Guitar
Kevin Rohr - Lead Guitar
Steve "Dedbass" Northam - Bass
Danny Sablan - Drums


Discography:
Debut


Guests:
Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, Andy LaRocque, Claudeous Creamer, Mike Wead, Glen Alvelais, Steve Smyth - guitar


Info:
Cover artwork by Erick Zombie
Produced by Brian O’Connor and Michael J. Gardner
Mixed and mastered by Deadlands and Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios

Released 2013-02-22
Reviewed 2013-02-20

Links:
deadlandsmusic.com
myspace
massacre


So, what happens when you team up experienced and acknowledged musicians into a new band? And also when they are guested with some highly acclaimed guest guitar soloing, that cannot go wrong, can it? Well, where have the evilution led these guys, if the eviltion as opposed to evolution leads up to what we have on the album cover then we are in for some nasty stuff. I wonder if Darwin could have foreseen that kind of development when we put together his works on the evolution of species. Brian O’Connor the singer of this band did not really impress me with his work in Consfearacy in 2011 so maybe he can create something interesting for this album.

It is called US-power metal by the label and that feels like an accurate description, it is heavy, powerful and dirty in style with O’Connors typical singing. Nothing fancy anywhere, just plain and simple, straight to the point heavy metal is what it is. The production of the album is decent, nothing spectacular or anything like that just an ordinary production of the genre. The stylings themselves are the same, we recognise it all and I would call this album something of a feeling of déjà vu which seems to be a word to use a lot about music these days. The question is what this 40 minute album has to offer that would be worth spending those 40 minutes on because there is nothing we haven’t heard before here, and nothing that even feels fresh or exciting. Sure, it doesn’t have to be all innovative and all of that but the songs should at least have a soul of the band performing them and not feel like copies of something else and that is what this album does feel like, a collection of copies.

There are some good stuff and I particularly like the track Asphyxiate the Masses which is a catchy, good and powerful track that is easy to like. I like no other track in full on the album that way but there are parts that I find quite good in some of them but lets face it, this is not a good album. It is an ordinary and rather dreary collection of songs that feels old already before they are released. The only one I think might feel appealed to look at this album are those that are fans of the the bandmembers or the genre, I don’t believe anyone else will find this too amusing.

Evilution is about as daft as its cover artwork and that doesn’t say a little daft. I am not very impressed with this album and I think the thing they really lack is their own identity or at least the sense of an own identity. I listen to this album over and over and all i get is bored and it feels just like I have heard it all before and I am not sure that I liked it then, I certainly don’t like it now. It might appeal to the fans but I am quite certain that no one else will find this one particularly impressive.

HHHHHHH

 

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