Efpix – Evil Sides (Sliptrick Records)
Thursday, 18th February 2016
More and more convincing is the argument that Russia is setting themselves up to be the next “Gothenburg,” as the country continues to put out some of the strongest melodic death metal (Sunless Rise being the most recent example). Efpix is the latest example, but before you go ahead and start thinking that this is yet another At the Gates or In Flames knockoff, know that Efpix get their influences from a different source – Hypocrisy.
Melodic death metal in the same sense as say, Abducted or The Final Chapter, Efpix keep things on the heavier side of the genre. They also toss in some industrial effects and synths from time to time, which admittedly sound a bit Tagtgren in a different way, as in Pain (check out “God is Our Entity”). It all combines into a strikingly catchy format that keeps the brutality upfront, as the upbeat number “Space Invaders” quickly shows. Most of the songs move along at the mid-tempo range, notably “Slave of Satan” and the title track, allowing for a strong mix of the more melodic elements (mostly coming in the form of the riffs and leads) with heavy moments enhanced by some bursts of speed. The growls are impressively brutal, such as the sustained roar that opens up “Forget Me,” which can on occasion, go into a cleaner feel without ruining the tone (see “Don’t Try to Escape”).
Rather catchy material that maintains a certain level of brutality at the same time, Efpix is a sure thing if you dig Hypocrisy or Pain. A strong debut, Evil Sides sets up Efpix as a band worth investigating further as they move forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ysUwmzxdEE
