The Blood Brothers played a pivotal role in my discovery of post hardcore and everything adjacent to it, as their barely controlled chaos and wide range of influences that were melded in gave them a sound that had a lot of unique elements. Their ten-year run was a whirlwind of activity with an EP and six albums released in that span of time, and then just like that things ended with an indefinite hiatus. A few live reunions have happened in the almost two decades that have passed since then, and while the band hasn’t gotten back together in the studio three of their members formed Evil Island last year alongside OFF!/…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead bassist Autry Fulbright II. With this in mind, it’s easy to hear a lot of The Blood Brothers template on Evil Island’s debut Terraform the Afterlife, but you can hear other influences seeping in that push this group towards something fresh.
Johnny Whitney’s vocal style is instantly recognizable, and the shift from shrill singing and yelled pitches to full-on screaming has influenced multiple generations of bands. It’s also one of those elements that may draw you further to the music on Terraform the Afterlife or have you turning it off in favor of something else, so it’s worth discussing before the instrumentals. If you were a fan of The Blood Brothers or Jaguar Love, Evil Island feels like there hasn’t been a fifteen year plus gap since Whitney’s vocals were on full display, as that same level of energy, sassiness, and genuine weirdness is on full display. Songs like “Evil Island Death Cult National Anthem” are perfect examples of just how much versatility the singing and screams can offer in short bursts, and there’s a sense of rhythm to the performance that makes you want to get up and move despite the rawer edges. It’s a lot to take in throughout the album’s thirteen track run, but the relatively light thirty-six-minute run means gives plenty of opportunities to re-listen and make sense of everything. There are a handful of moments where Whitney’s singing seems at odds with what the rest of the band is doing, but these are the exception rather than the rule and the performance is as outlandish as expected. Evil Island also brought in a slew of guests to add their own flair to many of the tracks, with fellow The Blood Brothers member Jordan Billie appearing on “I Bought a Spell” and “Moonlight Doomlight”. You’ll also hear Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Kraus, XCOMM’s Michael Gatto, Filth is Eternal’s Lis Di Angelo, plus the first vocal work from Fugazi/Rite of Spring alumni Guy Picciotto (and there are even more guests to be found in the liner notes). My first concern was that this might be too guest heavy of an album, but over time I’ve come to really like how everyone slots in alongside Johnny and adds that extra flair to the material.
Given the wide range of band experience within Evil Island it makes sense that the material on Terraform the Afterlife covers a lot of ground. There is still a lot of post hardcore baked into the riffing, but within the first two tracks alone you’ll hear elements of more straight-up punk rock and even some thrash leanings. As you get further in this gets expanded to post punk, noise rock, and even the almost no wave trappings of closer “Suicide by Cop”. Like The Blood Brothers, one of the elements that drew me to Evil Island was the ability for the band to balance aggressive barely controlled chaos with catchy, almost indie adjacent hooks, and the way that different passages seem to roll into each other without losing momentum works really well. “Tiger Baby” is a great example of this, as it has a faster and bouncier rhythm that transitions into some slower passages with heavier and darker tones and then shifts right back with ease. “Moonlight Doomlight” also feels like its heading into the earlier days of punk rock and rock ‘n roll, giving some MC5 vibes at certain points. While this is definitely a vocal forward album with how prominent Johnny is in the mix, there were a lot of nuances to the instrumentals that stood out the more time I spent with the album. “No Good” has this spookier, almost gothic tinge to it, and almost every song has a specific riff or other detail that stands out as you listen. The only thing I’m not overly fond of are the sparser outros on “Grow Spikes” and “Suicide by Cop”, which feel like they drag things out longer than they need to before the next song kicks in.
Considering how many members come from The Blood Brothers, it’s not surprising that Evil Island has a lot of similarities. But you can also tell that Fulbright has helped inject additional influences, making this debut have a flair of its own that encompasses even more punk and other elements alongside the post hardcore. It’s great to hear Whitney behind the mic again after so long, and with plenty of catchy and noisy riffs behind those unmistakable wails, there’s a lot to like about what the group has done here. I’m wondering if the members will continue onwards and build upon this foundation or go back to other projects (especially with ex-Glassjaw guitarist Todd Weinstock joining recently), but here’s hoping there is more to come. Terraform the Afterlife is available from Blowed Out Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg