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Hevilan: The End Of Time
Hevilan - The End Of Time CD Album Review

Hevilan: The End Of Time

Heavy/Power/Thrash Metal
3.0/5.0

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Massacre Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 18.06.2015

Hanging out in Brazil for nearly ten years is Hevilan, a power thrash metal band. They had a three song debut EP, Blinded Faith, shortly after forming which lead to a modicum of decent press and more than a few gigs around their native country. Now the arrive with some international recognition with the release of The End Of Time on Germany's Massacre Records.

Hevilan The End Of Time Band Photo

Hevilan

For the sake of clarity and honesty, it should be said from the start that The End Of Time is not, technically, a new "new" album from the band. It was released in Brazil and the South American territory in 2013. It's essentially getting an European push at this time, which means a larger audience, and that's a good thing.

Essentially, Hevilan's metal sound can be boiled down to certain key elements. First, their metal is heavy, like modern down tuned heavy. Then there's the riffage, and a lot of it, mostly thrashlike and pummelling, maybe bludgeoning is better. Then comes the pacing with most everything rushing along at a power metal speed. So there it is. Heavy. Intense. Fast. That pretty much sums up Hevilan. The reality is that that triumvirate does significant damage, like severely wounding the cause of melody. And for my money, gets old rather fast, no pun intended.

But there's a few more things to mention. Hevilan uses three vocalist, their main man Alex Pasqualle with guests Vitor Rodrigues (Torture Squad, Voodoo Priest) and Warrel Dane (Nevermore, Sanctuary) on four songs. As a whole, all three deliver rough and raw vocals, so you could say there is some consistency. Dane shows up on a second version of Shades Of War as bonus track. After delivering bushels of blistering riffage, guitarist and band founder Johnny Moraes can lay down some terrific licks in his leads, generally of the neo-classical variety. His guitar lines are likely the best thing about the band and album.

Outside of that element, in the end, I'm not sure I was all that impressed with or entertained by Hevilan or The End Of Time. Actually, the best song on the album, Loneliness, is nothing like the rest of the album. It's a fine metal anthem with some orchestration that significantly dails back the intensity. Like the constant oppressive heaviness that proceeds the song, I don't know if could handle a whole album of songs like Loneliness, but it was a nice reprieve from the former. But if you like your metal heavier, intense, fast, and generally beating your brain into mush, you'll like this album.

Hevilan - Desire Of Destruction


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In Short

If you like your metal heavier, intense, fast, and generally beating your brain into mush, you'll like Brazil's Hevilan and The End Of Time.

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