Evil Shepherd - Sowing Death

[EvilShepherd]

Evil Shepherd is a Belgian thrash metal band who draws it's main influences from Kreator, Dark Angel, Sadus, Slayer, Venom, NWOBHM and hardcore punk.

Here's our myspace: www.myspace.com/evilshepherdthrash

And label page with info on the album and how to buy it:

http://www.witches-brew.org/phpBB3/view ... f=2&t=1926

We released our debut album recently on Witches Brew records ,and I'll be using this thread to post some updates on the band and reviews of the album.

Here are some reviews we've had:

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=17488#

It's in dutch and it gives the album a 78/100. I'll give a short summary of the review for the people who don't speak dutch:

"What our Belgian friends deliver on 'Sowing Death' reminds me of the early 80s and the beginning of thrash metal. In fact, if someone had given me this and told me it was a lost and never released demo from Destruction from 1983 I would have believed them. The fast ramming guitars, the high-pitches screams, the typical lyrics, the filthy production and the songs who aren't only fast but who also have a break and a shredding solo every once and a while make 'Sowing Death' an album that will appeal to the thrashers between us. What you do have to consider though is the playing level. Every once and a while it isn't as smooth as it should be, which reminds us that this is still a new band, and this isn't a bad thing at all.

With 'Sowing Death' the four gentlement of Evil Shepherd deliver a fine debut. There are some things who need cleaning up but the overall atmosphere of the album is fine."

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EVIL SHEPHERD
Sowing Death
Witches Brew

Sinds 2008 maken de jongens van Evil Shepherd ons
Belgenlandje onveilig met hun thrash. Na twee eerder
opgenomen demo’s in 2008 en 2009 werd het stilaan
tijd voor het echte werk. Hun eerste full album
‘Sowing Death’ stelden ze reeds uitvoerig voor tijdens
hun optredens met Raven, Kreator en Violator. Vanaf
de eerste noot hoor je dat deze gasten goed hebben
geluisterd naar die grote iconen uit de thrashwereld.
Zowel muziek als zang zijn perfect op elkaar ingespeeld.
Op deze release mogen we trots zijn dat het
Belgisch is. (VVDA) ZILVER (5/7)
http://www.myspace.com/evilshepherdthrash

Translation:

The guys of Evil Shepherd have been making Belgium unsafe with their thrash since 2008. After 2 demos which they released in 2008 and 2009 it became time for a full album. They've already presented their debut album 'Sowing Death' at shows together with Raven, Kreator and Violator. Once you've heard 1 note you'll hear that these guys have listened to these great icons in the thrash world. Both the music and the vocals fit each other very well. We're proud that this is a Belgian release. (VVDA) SILVER (5/7)

From: http://www.mindview.be/images/23/8974.pdf

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Review written for: http://metalnightmareblog.blogspot.com/

Evil Shepherd
Sowing Death
2010 Witches Brew
I know of only a handful of bands from Belgium... mainly Enthroned, Ancient Rites, and uh... well at least I can add Evil Shepherd to that list.
With all the new thrash bands coming out, it seems like they all fit into one mold or another. The majority of them recall the glory days of
either the German scene ("we want to be Destruction") or the American Bay Area one ("we want to be Testament"). But on occasion, one runs across a band that doesn't fit either of those categories. I think you know where I'm going with this, and yes... Evil Shepherd are such a band. Right from the opening drumbeats, it's obvious that these guys are going more for the punk part of the "metal + punk" = "thrash metal" equation. A lot of the time, I found myself thinking that they could just about be described as Sadus playing D.R.I. covers. The punk end of things comes into play also in the length of the thirteen tracks found here. At a length of four minutes and twenty eight seconds, "History of Violence" is the oddball track, as most are under the four minute mark, and most of those are even well under three minutes. Short, fast and sweet... but minus the snotty attitude problem that most punk music has. No, Evil Shepherd are squarely in the metal category, right where they belong.

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New review from Rock Tribune:

EVIL SHEPHERD - SOWING DEATH 2010

(Witches brew records)

Je bent jong en je wilt wat. Een plaatje maken bijvoorbeeld en in het geval van het Aalsterse Evil shepherd is dat er eentje waar ze best fier op mogen zijn. Deze jonge thrashband liet zich hoorbaar inspireren door acts als Dark angel , Slayer en Sadus en dat zijn niet de minste. Dertien supersnelle, strakke en technische songs laten horen dat ES duidelijk op de goede koers zit. De cd werd opgenomen in de studio van Xavier Carion en die heeft schitterend werk geleverd. Vanaf de opener 'Sowing death' tot geniale afsluiter 'Nail it to the cross' kan je genieten van duizelingwekkende riffs en drumpartijen, die mooi aan elkaar gezongen worden. Geen onverstaanbaar gebrul, maar goede, rauwe zang met goed gekozen uithalen. Die geven de cd iets nostalgisch en de thrash van ES leunt dan ook meer aan bij die van de jaren '80 dan bij de moderne uitspattingen van veel hedendaagse bands. Het enige minpuntje is dat er misschien iets te weinig variatie te horen is, maar daar zal in de toekomst wel aan gewerkt worden, veronderstel ik.
Intussen hebben we er in Vlaanderen met ES alvast een beloftevolle en talentvolle act bij.

78/100

The debut album of the young folks of Evil Shepherd is one that they can be proud of. This thrash band obviously found inspiration in acts such as Dark Angel, Slayer and Sadus and you can hear it. 13 superfast, tight and technical songs let us hear that ES is definitely on the right track. The album was recorded in the studio of Xavier Carion and he did a fantastic job. From the opener 'Sowing Death' to the brilliant finisher 'Nail It To The Cross' you can enjoy dazzling riffs and drums who are sung together nicely. No intelligible grunts but good, raw vocals with some well chosen screams. They give the album something nostalgic and the thrash of ES fits better with that of the 80's instead of the modern sounds of alot of current bands; The only downside is that there isn't alot of variation, but I'm sure that'll be worked on in the future.
In the mean time, ES gives Flanders a promising and talented act.

78/100

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And here's a radio interview I did for FM. Brussels. It is in dutch though, but I'm going to write down a translation when I'm not lazy:

http://www.fmbrussel.be/player/ondemand ... heperd.mp3

[Throsh]

I'm really torn on whether I love the vocals or hate them... I just can't figure it out! I listened to the first two songs on your myspace, pretty good, thrash by the numbers but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[thrashbestos]

i bought this from witches brew along with the new deathhammer album, its amazing, young lads producing thrash of that quality!!

utter brilliance