Bring On the Apocalypse!
Evocation's Apocalyptic is a perfect example of a modern Swedish death metal success. Although unquestionably melodic in nature, you won't find any clean vocals, slow sections, or synth-laden passages on Apocalyptic. This album grabs you by the neck and refuses to let go, even after the playing time is long over. The melody here lies in the irresistible death metal riffs, which harkens back to the spirit of early Swedish death metal. Evocation was formed in 1991, and Apocalyptic just oozes with an amazing retro sound. If you're someone like me who loves melody in death metal, but can easily pass on the pompous keyboard orchestrations, it'd be a shame to let Apocalyptic slip through your fingers - this is one of the best "melodic" death metal releases in the last decade.
The music here is played in the true spirit of early Swedish death metal, which means nods towards bands like Grave, Edge of Sanity, or Entombed. This isn't an extremely brutal album, but instead focuses on semi-melodic riffs, memorable guitar solos, and excellent growled vocals. Apocalyptic sounds like it could've come out 15-20 years ago - it stays true to what Swedish death metal is really about (melody joined with brutality) and rarely strays away from that course. As such, Apocalyptic isn't breaking any rules, but who cares when the album kicks this much ass? Every song is very memorable, and collectively you have one of the best melodic death albums in a very long time. The 40 minute running time never drags on, but instead leaves me craving more; that's always a good thing. The musicians in Evocation are also a joy to listen to - I especially have to applaud the stellar drumming from Janne K. Boden.
The production on Apocalyptic is excellent. The drums sound excellent, the guitar is powerful and commanding, the bass effectively drives the band, and the vocals are just right in the mix. I have no complaints in terms of production; this sound is virtually perfect.
Conclusion:
Apocalyptic was my first venture into the world of Evocation, but I can assure you it won't be my last. Melodic death metal is usually a hit-and-miss genre for me, but this album proved to be a gigantic "hit". If you love early Swedish death metal and want to hear a killer album played in that style, I wouldn't miss out on Apocalyptic. 4 stars are well-deserved here. Evocation is surely a force to be reckoned with in the modern death metal scene!
Track Listing
1. Sweet Obsession 04:23
2. We Are Unified Insane 03:42
3. Infamy 04:48
4. Parasites 03:28
5. Reunion In War 03:50
6. Psychosis Warfare 03:19
7. Murder In Passion 03:49
8. It Is All Your Fault 03:28
9. Curse On The Creature 04:14
10. Apocalyptic 04:28
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