Error in Evolution (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Johan Lindstrand (vocals); Mikael Lagerblad (guitar); Marek Dobrowolski (drums).

Additional personnel: Christian Älvestam.

Audio Mixer: Valle Adzic.

It seems like only yesterday that Sweden's cleverly named One Man Army and the Undead Quartet released their debut album, but here they are, back already with album number two, Error in Evolution, which either proves that they're remarkably prolific, or that there's literally nothing else to do up there in the great white north! But that's another bone to pick, and whether they were indeed snowed inside the studio all winter or not, this sophomore effort's agile and risk-taking selection of contemporary thrash, death metal, and rot & roll (plus countless small nods to this and that, besides) suffers from only minor creative fatigue as compared to its predecessor. On the downside, "Such a Sick Boy," "Nightmare in Ashes and Blood" and "Hail the King" sound just a little too much like the Haunted for comfort (with a few marbles knocked out of whack), and on the irreparably goofy "See Them Burn" and elliptical tribute to Kiss, "Knights in Satan's Service," it's a little difficult to tell whether one should be laughing with these guys or at them. On the upside, though, both "Mine for the Taking" and "The Supreme Butcher are far more immediate than they are schizophrenic; "Heaven Knows No Pain" does a fine job of re-envisioning Entombed with the aid of synthesizers; and "The Sun Never Shines" simply provides some wildly exciting ultra thrashing delights -- too enjoyable to be denied. And in a final display of their maverick spirit for doing exactly what they feel like (always a good thing in today's calculated music world), the band shamelessly covers Alice Cooper's "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" -- which is obviously not an AC song you'd ever expect to hear covered, even if it was originally banned in Sweden! So, for this variety of reasons, Error in Evolution sees One Man Army and the Undead Quartet delivering more surprises and entertainment than your average Scandinavian metal record -- snowed in studio or not. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia minimize