Evil Machine – War In Heaven

So, you’re a black metal fan and you long for the days of Venom and Celtic Frost while holding back tears as you look in your closet at the black clothes and denim patch jackets you haven’t fit your fat ass in since 1985. And, if you bring up black metal, you might even get into a conversation about Varg Vikernes and the murder of Euronymous. But I digress.

There have been some tried and true troopers that have held to the black metal sound: Carpathian Forest and Satyricon (both formed in the early 90’s) kept black metal alive with their tinny sound and raspy vocals.

Evil Machine formed in 2004, hails from Poland (home of Behemoth), and delivers a classic black metal sound (for the most part) on their debut album (which has been in the works for seven years) "War In Heaven".

'Cross Meant Death' starts the album off with war sounds (dropping bombs and gun fire) and goes into a full on classic black metal harmony of speedy drums, shrill guitars and those gritty vocals we all love. The song is a little long; it would have been better if about a minute were shaved off. Still, this is a solid piece.

There are a few tracks on the album with a slight happy tinge to them one namely being 'Four Demons Of Apocalypse'. The statement is ironic in itself, but the guitars are somewhat upbeat. This rather throws the song off a smidge (singing about demons and apocalypse should be morbid, after all). Not to mention, this song sounds a little thrown together with all the tempo changes.

This is a solid black metal album for the most part. Some inconsistencies that don’t mesh well on a typical black metal cry out in a few songs – like the happy guitar solo on 'Bloody Emperor' – but there aren’t many.


  1. Cross Meant Death
  2. When Demons Call
  3. Prometeus
  4. Diabel
  5. Four Demons Of Apocalypse
  6. Onslaught (Power From Hell) (cover Onslaught)
  7. Bloody Emperor
  8. Evil Machine
  9. Die Hard (cover Venom)
  10. Jerusodoma