Swedish Thrash?? Ridiculous idea… or is it?? Hutch finds out more with the latest offering from Eternal Evil…

Of all the genres that Sweden has given the world of metal, thrash isn’t one that readily trips off the tongue. So, Eternal Evil, whose second album The Gates Beyond Mortality is the subject of this review, are either trail blazers or just retro thrill seekers. Well, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. But let’s start with a compliment, for The Gates Beyond Mortality is a thumper of an album. Neatly played, with a savage edge that all decent thrashers need, it’s a 40-minute ride that rips from start to finish.  

Yes, there is most definitely some Slayer worship on here, but the band don’t stick to one piece of homage. Instead, they throw in some black metal, not to mention some classic, traditional metal ala Priest and Maiden, all into the mix, and proceed to blister the skin on the face.  

There’s a classic album intro, the two-minute Depths of a New Eternity bringing things into focus before the black magic starts with Guerilla Warfare. At this point, one can’t help thinking that this is a band doing their best to emulate Araya, King et al. But things slowly expand, the music changes tempo on multiple occasions, and it all gets rather tasty. The title track is a slow burn, a bit of a monster overall, and a demonstration of the quality that Eternal Evil possess.  

And then you discover that these guys aren’t even in their 20s yet. At least two of the band are under 20 years old, and yet they are playing some high-quality thrash metal, even if they do return to the Slayer blueprint several times throughout the album. Signs of Ancient Sin for example, echoes Haunting the Chapel era but still ticks a few boxes, due to the way it is delivered.  

It’s where they slow things down and experiment that Eternal Evil move up a gear. The balance of light and shade that flicks through The Astral Below provides evidence that they can move into more complex and intricate structures, although that’s soon blown away by the all-out eruption that follows in Immolation. They save the best til last though, with The Cursed Trilogy, a powerful, devilish finale that races at high tempo from start to end.  

Whilst there is much to be critical about here, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. And I would suggest that any self-respecting fan of thrash metal should also be keen to get involved. These guys have a good chunk of talent and it’ll be interesting to see how they progress in future years.  

Eternal Evil – The Gates Beyond Mortality is out 27/10/2023 via Listenable Records