Release Date: September 06th 2024. Record Label: Hammerheart Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Evil Remains: Tracklisting
1.Queen Of Death
2.Nosferatu Nights
3.Deja Voodoo
4.Evil Remains
5.Black Spell
6.100 Eyes
7.She
8.Cold Grave
Members
Liz Blackwell – bass, vocals
Mat Davis – guitar, vocals
Mike Cotton – drums
Review
Evil Remains is the new album from Doom Metallers Castle who return after a six year absence with perhaps their most original sounding and outlandish record in years. The album is constantly on-point with its potent riff-centric charms with a slightly freakish Occult Metal and Proto-Metal charm that blasts the cobwebs of the traditional HEAVY METAL sound long into the ground with a more aggressive modern day sound.
With small amounts of trippy Psychedelic Rock which sees vocalist/bassist Liz Blackwell deliver classic sounding vocals and a storming performance on bass guitar. The muscular grooves are handled by Mat Davis where the sounds can be quite THRASH based with Mat providing excellent vocals along the way.
The record is downright catchy and superbly fast-paced with Castle capturing a truly hypnotic PROTO-METAL delivery with flashes of Speed Metal and Stoner Metal along the way. With influences ranging from Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus and Pentagram this hasn’t stopped Castle adapting their music for a more seasoned and professionally delivered sound where if they want to try a more sophisticated and progressive style then they will play that style of music just for the SHEER HELL OF IT.
The lyrics are quite romantic and opaque at the same time on tracks such as Queen Of Death, Nosferatu Nights and Deja Voodoo. Those are just the excellent three tracks that Castle opens the album with and perhaps features some of the early standout instrumental moments for the band to build upon. However, Evil Remains is still quite a dark, brooding and mysterious record touching upon some heavy emotional themes.
Castle excels at developing a free-flowing Proto-Metal atmosphere merging into Heavy Stadium Rock passages on the later stages of the album within tracks such as Black Spell, 100 Eyes, She and Cold Grave. The six years away has enabled Castle to comeback with a BIGGER, HEAVIER and more INTENSE sound that easily ranks as some of their best music of their career to date.
Evil Remains is boosted by classic sounding production values that allows Castle to provide GIGANTIC sounding riffs and heavy pounding HEAVY METAL sounds from start to finish which will have everyone coming back for more.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Carcosa PR for the promo.
Evil Remains will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Hammerheart Records from Friday 06th September 2024..
Links
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