Convulse — Evil Prevails

After 18 years off, Finnish death metal legends Convulse returned this January with the Inner Evil EP. Ten months later, they're dropping another slab of classic death on us with Evil Prevails. How relevant can a band be after such a hiatus in the constantly changing and evolving music world? In Convulse's case, very. The Finnish foursome isn't breaking any new ground here, but really, when you're getting back on the horse, why reinvent the wheel (it's a horse with wheels)? Classics never die, and that's as true in death metal as it is in GILF porn.

If you were to find a time machine and set the date for 1993, would you stick out like a sore thumb? Now, if someone threw Evil Prevails in a time machine set to 1993, it would fit right in. It would head to the club in its white high tops, black jeans, and black long sleeve Obituary t-shirt and bang its head in a whirling vortex of sweaty, greasy long hair. The riffs on this album are super meaty. When not rocking a nice, low chug, Rami rips up some awesome buzzsaw action. Hell, there's even some super clean guitar on the soulful breakdown during "Unholy War." The bass is more felt than heard, but it's definitely there (though, admittedly, I need to buy a new pair of headphones). As for the kit, it sounds clean and lovely, and the speed is only as fast as warranted. It's all about setting the right pace at the right time with this album. Beautiful slowdowns lead to excellent guitar solos that cross, intertwine, and separate. "God Is Delusion" is such a showcase for Convulse. There's speed, brutality, patience, and beauty. With this album, you can tell the treat you're in for right from the get go. Firstly, the painting of four freshly risen bodies walking through the graveyard hearkens back to a time before photoshopped collage covers ruled the day. Secondly, the opener, "We Kill Our Own Kind," drops it on you after a forty second metal warm up. This is classic death metal and well done at that.

Barring a traumatic brain injury, you probably won't forget how to ride a bike. Metal, on the other hand, is a completely different beast. Some leave the game and when they come back, they don't know what they're doing (Metallica and Death Magnetic, I'm looking at you). Convulse shows us that if you stick to your roots, you can get back on without falling off and jocking yourself on the crossbar. For you death metal fans that want to relive 1993 but don't have the spare cash for a Delorean, smash open your piggy bank and pick up Evil Prevails. It'll do the trick just fine.