20th October 2023
Christopher Nosnibor
It’s all been happening in the Eville camp since the release of their second single, ‘Messy’, back in June – and now they’ve been gathering advance airplay in spades for the follow-up, ‘Leech’. Again, produced by Jamie Sellers (best known for his work with the likes of Ed
Sheeran and Elton John), this offering sees them really step things up a few notches.
Whereas ‘Messy’ was grungy and melodic, ‘Leech’ is all fiery fury: the rapidfire clattering drumming and roaring guitars – and vocal howl – which kickstarts the song harks back to the point around the turn of the millennium, when Pitchshifter joined forces with Prodigy live guitarist Jim Davies to create a dance/industrial metal fusion and saw them find favour with the nu-metal crowd – and although their preferred reference points are more in the vein of Slipknot, for all the emotional rawness of the lyrics, there’s still a strong melodic edge to the vocals.
Eva Sheldrake has range, and a knack for delivering a hook, not to mention a monster riff, and in the company of Milo Hemsley (drums) and Billy Finneran (bass), the Brighton ‘brat-metal’ trio are a powerful unit. And as much as I’ve been digging the vogue for duos lately – a setup often born as much out of necessity as choice – and hearing how far it’s possible to push the most minimal format it’s possible to have and still be a band – there is something so classic about a trio. It’s because while maintaining all of the component parts, there has to be absolute focus, there’s no room for a weak element like an iffy rhythm guitarist, and no-one has anywhere to hide, but everyone has to deliver optimally. And when they do, the sum is greater than the parts.
“I hope listeners take as much from it as I did by relating through experience with inner
conflict and toxic situations that are hard to escape,” says Eva.
She certainly channels it, and hard, here. Eville are clearly no suckers, and ‘Leech’ is a killer tune that says this is a band with much promise.
AA
Aural Aggravation 