There’s always space for a melodic death metal band that doesn’t resort to cheap melodies in each track. The combination of high-octane riffing and bellowing screams does still have plenty of charm after all these years (and all those bands). Bands like The Duskfall and Arise made this their bread and butter for quite some time, and Montreal’s [Evertrapped] (not sure what’s going on with the brackets – perhaps it signifies being trapped?) give it their all on album number two to walk those same grounds.
Only those looking for melodic death metal on the heavier end of the spectrum need apply here. The second that you hear the opening chords of “Arise from the Ashes,” you’ll know exactly what [Evertrapped] is going for. Plenty of Slaughter of the Soul and The Chainheart Machine running under the framework (in addition to the two bands listed in the opening paragraph), but with some more modern flair at points, which have an almost Randy Blythe-esque snarl to them from time to time. The emphasis is on the catchy, thrashy riffs that bring each track to explosive speed. Surprisingly, the tracks keep above the 5 minute mark, yet there’s never a moment when feel the tracks overstay their welcome – a testament to some solid writing chops, particularly in the very traveled waters that the band is catering to. Those looking to sample a few tracks should check out the melodic leanings of “Lethal District” or ominous riffs of “Reaper.”
Some people may have had their fill of melodic death metal, but understandably a band like [Evertrapped] is not for them. For the rest of us, be ready to pump some fists, bang some heads, and reminisce back to a time when melodic death metal wasn’t all about clean, poppy choruses – just raw and memorable carnage.