Not above evil are a four-piece melodic death metal band hailing from Manchester and in thrall to a mixture of ‘Ride the lightening’-era Metallica and Arch Enemy. Having already released two full-length albums to great response (2010’s ‘Deification’ and 2011’s ‘the transcendental signified’ – both available for silly prices on bandcamp), this new EP entitled ‘Psychosis, rage and rapture: the journey down’, further captures the band’s intensity and ambition with blistering clarity.
Opening with the acoustic work of guitarists Sideeq Mohammed (who also provides vocals) and David Gwynn, ‘from the otherside’ rapidly explodes into a full-blown cauldron of rage, combining Sideeq’s acid on the tonsils vocal style and melodic lead breaks to great effect. It exists in the same sphere as Arch Enemy but with hints of heavy weight titans Lamb of god and even a touch of Paradise Lost (in the song’s slow, doomy bridge) thrown in for good measure. Daniel Mucs, in particular, deserves great credit for his ferocious performance on the drums, his thunderous work as brutal and engaging as any of rock’s heaviest hitters. ‘Tyranny of the endless gaze’ sees the band expanding their sound further, utilising the sort of nimble, progressive-metal riffs more commonly associated with bands like Mastadon. It’s still mind-numbingly heavy of course, the vocals a snarling tidal wave of rage, but it adds depth to not above evil’s sound and keeps interest levels piqued throughout. ‘Jericho’ is another white hot rampage through the wild terrain of death metal, with the only slight criticism being the production occasionally renders the guitars on the muddy side, with the result that riffs that should be razor sharp lack clarity and definition. This is a minor issue, however, and the snarling power of the band still comes through loud and clear, especially as a bright solo adds melody and depth to the chorus, whilst the closing sections of the song are furiously intense. The final track, ‘on the wings of the earth’ rounds out this complex, technical EP with a blazing track that returns to the brutal, Arch Enemy inspired sound of the opening track, cross-pollinating it with elements of doom for a sound that is unutterably heavy and guaranteed to send the adrenalin surging around your body as Sideeq’s voice scrapes the last inches of paint from the walls.
Overall, Not Above Evil prove themselves to be a deeply talented and promising UK band on this furious EP release. As mentioned above, a minor criticism is that the production occasionally lacks the definition for which you feel the band are striving, but even so the band’s power and authority is laid bare for all to see. This is a band who will undoubtedly be going on to a bigger brighter future if they can maintain their levels of invention and skill and you can bet you’ll be seeing them on the rise in the near future. In the meantime not above evil need and deserve the support of the UK metal scene, for they are one of its brightest lights – check out this release, you will not be disappointed.
Don’t waste time – you can listen to this awesome release here:
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