EVOLUTION „Marcator Project”

Music: Heavy Metal
Country: Philippines
Website: www.myspace.com/evolution2000
Duration: 38:12
Cool Songs: All of them!!!

If you’re already jaded by the sea of mediocre bands flooding the internet at the moment, then you should let Evolution inside your life. They may posses the plainest name possible for any metal band, but honestly, Evolution are one of those rare gems whose singer is uniquely blessed with Ozzy Osbourne’s singing voice. No kidding here, because their sixth album, “Marcator Project,” sounds like the missing link between “No More Tears” and last year’s “Black Rain.”

What’s that?

Why be thrilled by a band that borrows someone else's legacy?

It’s really not such a big deal, man. Just look around you: There’s Primal Fear and Cage rehashing Judas Priest; Sahg imitating Black Sabbath; Jorn Lande doing the same to Dio; Sister Sin giving Motley Crue a run for their money; a zillion other bands plagiarizing Iron Maiden’s dueling guitars; and a swarm of smarmy kids in the US resurrecting Bay Area Thrash. So let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill as insignificant as sharing someone else’s sound.

On to the album then, whose entire 40-minutes of music sets your CD player ablaze. The energy heard throughout “Marcator Project” shows how Evolution’s obscurity (well, they do have a fan base in South East Asia, where they currently live) and “freshness” provide ample motivation for the band to write kick ass music. It’s instantly heard on this 2007 opus when an energized drum roll greets the listener barely a split second after the “play” button is pushed, thereby introducing the unstoppable pop-tinged tempo of “Can’t Get Enough.” It’s here that the Evolution formula of powerful songs bursting at the seams with melody and the thickest, most skull pounding riffs comes to the fore. To match their humongous output, the production throughout “Marcator Project” has a polish not usually heard on independent releases. As mentioned earlier, “Marcator Project” is so slick and loud your CD player catches fire the moment it starts to spin.

Now if you’re thinking this review is being too generous, it is, because the appeal of Evolution’s latest is undeniable. Not convinced? Imagine this; the intensity heard on “Marcator Project” puts most extreme metal bands to shame.

Here’s one more shameless pitch: If you consider yourself a fan of hard music, whether its alternative, hard rock, or heavy metal, Evolution should join your ‘favorites’ list.

Having established how fan-fuckin-tastic they are, it’s only fitting that the track list of “Marcator Project” is given a quick run through. Song number two “Regain Your Crown” merely speeds up the ride begun by “Can’t Get Enough” and once it sashays to the anthemic “Look Out” the album reaches one of its many peaks three tunes deep. The bottom heavy “Friend” swaggers in with characteristic meatiness but has an interesting Spanish guitar noodle somewhere in the middle. Evolution’s menacing streak emerges on the cheesy “Born to Rock,” yet another sing-along anthem packing equal amounts of attitude and cliché. The groovy hooks at the start of “Girls Girls” ooze coolness while the syrupy “Angel” is a bit more hopeless-romantic, but neither can match “On The Run” for testosterone-fueled mayhem. More of the usual brashness wrecks your CD player on the radio hit “Make It Home” before album closer “Don’t Care” smashes your speakers in. Melodic as hell and crackling with electricity, Evolution are the greatest unknown band on Earth. It’s high time they emerged from the shadows.

note: 9.5/10

Tracklist

1.Can’t Get Enough
2.Regain Your Crown
3.Look Out
4.Friend
5.Born to Rock
6.Old
7.Girls Girls
8.On the Run
9.Angel
10.Make it Home
11.Don’t Care

Line-up

Steve Bateman- Vocals
Jimmy Corradas- Guitar
Jason Kovaks- Bass
Albert Woods- Drums