Evildead

Hailing from California, Evildead established themselves as an uncompromising thrash outfit that first appeared in 1989 through the neck-snapping Annihilation of Civilization. Over the ensuing decades the group experienced repeated personnel shifts, leaving co-founder and guitarist Juan Garcia as its lone unchanging member. Following the 1991 release of The Underworld, Evildead entered a prolonged recording absence that concluded in 2020 upon the arrival of its long-awaited third full-length, United States of Anarchy. The same collective further sharpened its classic West Coast thrash approach on 2024’s hard-hitting Toxic Grace.

Juan Garcia, formerly of Agent Steel, assembled the band in 1986 with vocalist Phil Flores, guitarist Albert Gonzalez, bassist Mel Sanchez, and drummer Rob Alaniz. After signing to Germany’s Steamhammer imprint, the quintet issued both the Rise Above EP and the full-length Annihilation of Civilization of ferocious thrash metal before the end of 1989.

Although the album failed to register mainstream impact, Evildead, a unit widely esteemed within the metal underground, pressed forward undeterred. The members reassessed their configuration and enacted substantial roster adjustments. Incorporating guitarist Dan Flores, bassist Karlos Medina (another Agent Steel veteran), and drummer Doug Clawson, they tracked 1991’s The Underworld. Two years later the concert document Live...From the Depths of the Underworld appeared, yet like numerous other heavy metal acts confronting grunge’s ascent in the early ’90s, Evildead suspended activities.

The band resurfaced in 2010 for several live dates featuring Garcia, Alaniz, Gonzalez, Sanchez, and vocalist Steve Nelson (Winterthrall, Noctuary). After unveiling the new song “Blasphemy Drive,” the project again dissolved in 2012. Four years later the musicians reconvened for a one-time performance honoring Alaniz’s 50th birthday. That configuration—Garcia, Alaniz, Gonzalez, Karlos Medina, and Phil Flores—coalesced effectively and entered the studio to commence work on fresh material. The resulting United States of Anarchy, nearly five years in preparation, surfaced in 2020. Retaining the identical lineup, the group delivered Toxic Grace in 2024, a concise and confident collection of vintage West Coast thrash.