Where Evil Follows: Portable Darkness

This album will take some listeners back to a time when heavy metal included breathtaking guitar solos and soaring, operatic, vocals. Despite the old-school feel, this album is less a return to the NWOBHM of the past, but more a nod to the speed metal that was, in my opinion, always a bit more exciting. Where Evil Follows is the project of Toby Knapp (Onward, Waxen), a legendary underground guitar player with tons of energy and impressive chops. On this album, he is joined by vocalist / bassist Dean Sternberg (Ashes of Ares and a former member of Into Eternity). Though Knapp is best known for his work with Onward, Where Evil Follows should perk up the ears of metal fans who like things a bit more old school. As I mentioned, the music looks back to the speed metal of the 1980s and is just as exciting and fun now as it was then. As I listened to this album, I never felt like things were stuck in the past. The music is consistently explosive and enjoyable. It helps that the songwriting is also good, but let's face it—the real fun comes from listening to Knapp's guitars and Sternberg's vocals. And they are on display from start to finish.

My favorite tracks on this album are "Reborn," "Oppressive Grey," and "Disturbing the Priest." I realize that many readers will have plenty to say about Black Sabbath's album Born Again, pro and con, but I was always a fan of that infamous release and was happy to hear "Disturbing the Priest" covered by these talented musicians. Give it a listen!

Track Listing:
1. Reborn
2. They Came for Us
3. Symbiotic
4. Lifting the Veil
5. A World Away
6. Oppressive Grey
7. Disrupting the Priest (Black Sabbath Cover)
8. Portable Darkness

Added: July 30th 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2381
Language: english

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