Artist: Evokthum
Country: Brazil
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digitaal
Year: 2026
When I reviewed Evokthum’s debut demo, ‘Majesty Blood Vomiter’, back on the first day of 2025 it was still a one-man operation. But now, several releases on, Evokthum has become a duo. Their latest EP from 2025, ‘Violating Till Death’, marked the introduction of the second member, a guitarist who goes by the name Tyrannic Arsenal Of War and also plays in the Black/Speed Metal band Visagem. Evokthum’s music hasn’t really changed as a result; it still resides in the messy corner of Black/Death Metal. That remains the case on this second full-length album, ‘Seven Graves Of Messiah’.
But is that really the case? A seasoned analyst might well point out that Evokthum now leans more towards Black/Speed Metal than the truly traditional Bestial Black/Death Metal of their first few recordings. There’s certainly no denying the truth of that, for it is indeed the case. It’s not as though this automatically places them in the same league as a band like Midnight or Nuctemeron, but a certain progression in the band’s overall musicality cannot be denied. However, it’s still messy and rather primitive, and the foundation of what I previously described as a mishmash between Proclamation and Black Witchery can still be found. What is striking is the increasingly prominent role of guitar solos and leads, and the generally greater variety in the music. The more elaborate parts, in which the lead guitar plays a greater role, are still interspersed with heavier passages where choppy drums and roaring vocals take over once again.
The result, however, is a bit ambiguous, as if the band isn’t quite sure whether to turn left or right. It now feels like a hodgepodge of everything and anything, without really committing to one thing and executing it properly. That lack of direction makes it a bit of a slog to get through, and the fact that it runs to over 40 minutes and is pieced together from various recording sessions doesn’t really help either.
Whether this all is down to the arrival of the new guitarist or simply a natural progression is, of course, not easy for an outsider to say. It does bring a bit more dynamism to the mix, but the band’s ramshackle charm is still very much present; whether this is still acceptable will likely come down to the listener’s personal taste. Personally, I prefer the ultra-primitive sound on the first two demos; so be it if there are no solos…
