Ah yes. Deviser. A band that’s been lurking somewhere out there in the outer Sphere ov Elusive Reviews for a long time. A well-known and darkly ominous Extreme Metal entity from Greece. A band standing proud alongside the likes of Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, or – again – Isolert. The RMR crew indeed waited forever and a day for that new album to drop. To the point that this started to feel somewhat like the Patrick Rothfuss1 experience all over again.
So, here we are in the loveless2 and (as yet) very unholy year of the Dark Lord 2023. And – behold – Evil Summons Evil finally drops all of a sudden. Deviser are back from the undead after 12 years of a felt unending stream of singles, videos, and EPs. There is only one problem. Will they be able to top the exacting standards sent before us by the last Top 10 list? Pump up the grime.
We said it before. Once old masters speak, suddenly there’s pepper in the Black Metal scene. Already last year, Kampfar’s latest piece forced itself into the fray with irresistible power somewhat at the last minute. And same as the latter, Evil Summons Evil here wastes no time to show the blackest of all black flags. Heavy stomp, ominous riffing, and vile rasps directly from the pit assault you from the moment Death is Life Eternal lets loose.
The record gorges with subtle orchestration that flows in on discrete tremolos and riffs that often blatantly hunt in soundscapes usually occupied by the folks over at Death Metal central. And that results in a pretty remarkable brand of Melodic Black Metal that we found quite irresistible. So, gone are earlier barebone musings that emanated straight from the rarefied pits of olde Black Metal. And in flow almost Victorian soundscapes that ominously seem to hint at gruesome, blood-soaked tableaux without going there outright. And that truly is a giant step forward for a band we had down more in the traditional scratchy realm than on stout melodic territory.
Some of Deviser’s goodness might sail a tad too close to the aforementioned Rotting Christ, though. The excellent track Of Magick – for instance – would be at home on any one of Tolis’ disks. Same as it perfectly fits the mold Evil Summons Evil set for itself. But, similarities aside, this song describes the essence of the record best. And – in truth – Deviser added their very own tangy flavor to one of the best, if not THE best track on this record. Ethereal chanting by Androniki Skoula (Chaostar) included for added spice.
What else? Absence Of Heaven garnered a lot of airtime over here with its sturdy blackened airs that roar forward on a background of – subdued strings. When The Lights Went Out sounds like something that could have lived on Sanctus Diavolos.3 But at the same time, it gets you that perfect moment of closure on an extremely strong piece.
To sum this up some, Evil Summons Evil turned out to be one of the great surprises of early 2023. Raucous, harsh, and slightly tribal yet still refined, this record conveys what well-structured Black Metal with a modern touch is all about. Boy, the piece even contains the voice of the daemon bitching about the delights of the Lightbringer. Of course, the die-hard traditionalists of the oldish BM lore might object with a few demonic spells to the (relative) abundance of melodics on this here disk. Yet, to the stout metalheads over at the RMR review desk, adding some atmosphere and a melodic touch is precisely what this record needed to shine brightly in a modern world of metal.
Deviser‘s back with a thunderous new epos. And we’re ultimately glad we waited for that special summoning for all that time. Great record. We need more of that.
Ed’s note: And – drumroll – the record’s made it onto our 2023 Top Ten list. Congrats!
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Hammerheart Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 10 February 2023