Artist: Evil Tree
Country: USA
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2025
Admittedly, I have missed this band’s first demo from 2022, but when I came across the cover of this new demo on Instagram, I had to find it. Of course, YouTube and BandCamp were able to deliver me what I wanted. And, frankly, it didn’t disappoint – at all. ‘Lepers Tongue’ is really just that, a perfect example of “what you see is what you get”: simple, bareboned, primitive Black Metal, far removed from anything that reeks of the second wave.
In just over ten minutes, we’re served with three hard rocking tunes that has Hellhammer and Venom written all over it. An undeniable garage punk vibe is felt throughout the whole demo in the way the songs are put together as well as the “production”. This is Proto-Black Metal at its best, with still lots of hints of early Angelwitch, Witchfynde and even (very) early Mercyful Fate. An attempt of adding some melody and actual leads do add tremendously to the feeling of authenticity. Really as if you’re listening to something that was recorded in the UK in 1981.
Those Rock-‘n’-Roll and early Heavy Metal values are also reflected in such song titles as ‘Snorting For Satan’, even pushing ‘Lepers Tongue’ to greater heights on the enjoyability indicator. This is absolutely mandatory stuff for those Heavy/Black Metal bangers who like to dig deep into the most heavy and obscure NWOBHM singles. It might not be really recorded back in 1981, but this certainly is the real deal!
