Shub-Niggurath
Evilness and Darkness Prevails
[Guttural]


Hail to Mexico! Although slightly inferior to their sophomore release, Shub-Niggurath's Evilness and Darkness Prevails (the first full-length) is still one powerful slab of death/thrash. The band already had a black metal feel at this stage, even with the heavy Morbid Angel and Acheron influence, and the Kinglike Celebration seems to be where they took all those other elements and pushed them to light, creating an altogether encompassing and old school masterpiece. Regardless, this outing is good to own not only for the great music but also to watch how this gargantuan progressed.

In conjunction with some great vocals (raspy) by Arturo Alvarez, Shub-Niggurath's trademark seems to be wild and obliterating solos that flail all over the place with absolutely no structure or predictability. Evilness and Darkness Prevails is of course no exception as hints of Sodom and Sarcofago are streamlined with occasional doom breaks in a machine-gun atmosphere. One complaint is that the entire recording definitely comes up a bit short length-wise, though the two bonus tracks definitely help (the first, "Demon's Conjuration," is one of the strongest on the entire album). Blasting, riveting, and entrancing all the way through.

Get The Kinglike Celebration first, but don't pass this up.


© 2000 hando