There is one word that causes fans of electrically amplified guitars to feel a sense of unease, ranging from mild to intense. I am talking of the infamous musical development. For some bands, a consistent evolution is already evident from the moment they are formed; for others, there is a gradual adjustment from album to album. But there are also albums, and this is one of them, where you have to speak of a clear shift or break. The debut “The Warriors Awakening…” from 2021 by ETERNAL EVIL was in the vein of the early works from KREATOR, SODOM and SEPULTURA. Furious, aggressive, fast-paced Thrash Metal that feels like a volcanic eruption. And even though the 2023 follow-up “The Gates Beyond Mortality” was a bit more organized, the label “Black / Thrash Metal” was still fitting. With “Forever Feared” the Swedes are breaking new ground. The fundament is still Thrash Metal, but we have a huge amount of melodic riffs, that would suit any melodic Death Metal band, at some moments it sound more classic Power or Speed Metal. Accordingly the clear vocals are more reminiscent of classic Heavy Metal singers than of furious, barking Thrash Metal shouters. A song like ‘The Mountains Gaze’ with its melodramatic keyboards even ventures into Epic Metal. Bottom line: longtime fans who were still hoping for an album in the style of the first two will be disappointed. However, anyone who likes their Thrash Metal melodic or who sometimes finds classic Heavy Metal a bit too snoozy should give “Forever Feared” a listen. Visit these pages for more information: www.facebook.com/eternal-evil-102475751152163, www.facebook.com/listenablerecs