Review by Felix on November 4, 2021.

First things first: I beg your pardon, but this review is not about "Senjutsu".

Glorious times when you could give your band the name “Evil” without being afraid of choosing a moniker that has been selected ten or twenty times before. Evil’s five track EP from 1984 is a child of its time, classic prototype speed metal with traditionally performed vocals and a few stylistic devices that sound stale (the guitar breaks in the intro), at least from today’s perspective. Nevertheless, the music on Evil's Messsage still has a lot of charm due to its straight and unconcerned approach.

The band anthem 'Evil' opens the door to the speed metal realm and it proves evidence that the then young dudes were able to pen catchy songs on the basis of conservative verse-chorus-verse patterns. To be honest, I am surprised that the music does not appear like a dusty piece of furniture. Especially 'Evil' and the caringly titled 'Take Good Care (Of Your Balls)' have something to say due to their dynamic overall picture and the coherent, crunchy riffing. Okay, the background vocals in the chorus of 'Son Of A Bitch' sound a bit strange and rather funny than spooky. But the overall impression is convincing – already the opening riff of the intro shows a mental connection to Belgium’s Killer and this fact speaks for the honest approach of the Evil dudes.

In addition, the quality of the warm old school sound reaches a more than solid degree and I admit that I also like the somewhat mysterious artwork. I even can remember when I saw it for the first time back in the mid-eighties. Too bad that I forgot to buy the vinyl. This would have been the right format for the depicted dark scenario. Anyway, Evil are surely not the most influential band of all times, but their most relevant release, the here reviewed EP, combines speed metal with talent and traditional metal with courage. Another nice detail is that they shared the stage with Artillery in October 1983 when the Stützer squadron played its first gig – the starting point for a great career. But that’s another story.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10