Evile

Huddersfield, England gave rise to Evile, a death and thrash metal group whose lineup has shifted repeatedly yet always retained Ben Carter on drums as the sole unchanging presence. Their approach draws directly from the classic thrash metal era spanning the late 1980s and early 1990s, yet albums including Enter the Grave from 2007 and Five Serpent's Teeth from 2011 also incorporate modern production methods and instrumental advances. Following the 2015 release Skull, multiple core members departed, prompting further adjustments; live performances persisted, though no new studio album appeared until Hell Unleashed in 2021.

Siblings Matt on vocals and rhythm guitar plus Ol Drake on lead guitar launched Evile in 2004 alongside bassist Mike Alexander and drummer Ben Carter. After several months of rehearsal they self-produced and issued the demo EP All Hallows Eve that same year, with additional demos appearing shortly afterward. Recognition as the United Kingdom's top unsigned band in a Terrorizer magazine readers' poll led Earache Records to sign them, resulting in the autumn 2007 release of their first full-length album Enter the Grave. European dates supporting Megadeth's 2008 tour followed immediately.

The period brought steady progress, highlighted when the track "Thrasher" appeared on the Rock Band video game soundtrack. Ol Drake fractured his jaw and collapsed shortly before a scheduled European run supporting Satyricon, forcing the cancellation of remaining concerts. September 2009 saw the arrival of the second album Infected Nations. Tragedy occurred during the October European tour when Mike Alexander succumbed to a pulmonary embolism. Memorial events honoring him took place in Leeds and London before an extended search for a successor concluded in December with the addition of former Rise to Addiction bassist Joel Graham.

Five Serpent's Teeth arrived in 2011 and contained the Alexander tribute "In Memoriam." Strong reviews and metal chart placement followed, aided by video singles for "Eternal Empire" and "Cult." A fifteen-date United Kingdom headline tour with label-mates Savage Messiah ensued. After returning, Kerrang! invited the band to record a Nirvana cover for its twentieth-anniversary salute to Nevermind; they selected "Lounge Act."

October brought a Live Session appearance on BBC Radio 1's Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter. The following month they revealed a twenty-four-date European headline trek with Portrait and Dr. Living Dead as support acts. March 2012 brought Ol Drake a nomination for the "Dimebag Darrell Shredder" Award at Metal Hammer's Golden Gods Awards.

Skull, the fourth studio album, surfaced in May 2013. Russ Russell handled production for the nine original songs, with special editions later adding bonus material and alternate versions. Seven years would pass before another studio effort. August saw Ol Drake depart from the band he had co-founded. Ex-Fallen Fate guitarist Piers Donno-Fuller joined as replacement yet left in 2016 citing prior obligations, even though album work had already begun. April brought Ol Drake's announcement that he was rejoining, allowing continued touring without a new release.

August 2020 confirmed that founding vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matt Drake had exited earlier, though no precise date was given. Adam Smith from RipTide entered on rhythm guitar, with Ol Drake assuming lead vocal duties alongside his lead guitar role. September 2020 brought a Napalm Records contract and sessions for the fifth album under producer Chris Clancy. Hell Unleashed reached stores in April 2021, preceded by singles "Gore" and "The Thing (1982)"; the title track later served as the third single. The nine-song collection also included a cover of Mortician's "Zombie Apocalypse," the first time Evile had recorded an outside song on one of their own releases.