You know gang, after what was a rather sparse July, I told myself I’d be more on the ball with posting on here come August. Well, we’re now more than halfway through August. Prior to this here review, I’ve posted a whopping 2 reviews this month. What the hell has become of me? I say this with the utmost disappointment in myself, as it’s not as if this first half of the month has been completely devoid of quality releases. Look no further than today’s album in review, Eyes of Evil from Show n Tell. I guess that sentence in and of itself spoils the direction in which this review is headed, but if you’re one of the dozen people who’ve missed new content from this site, read on!
Show n Tell are a band who are new in comparison to most of the bands who receive coverage on this webzine, and certainly new to me. They formed in 2019 and have made the most of their 7 year existence, dropping an eponymous demo in 2020, followed by a debut full length in 2024 entitled The Ritual Has Begun. While both of those releases somehow skipped my radar, I became aware of this sophomore affair thanks to a friend who sent me a link to their latest single/video, “Haunted by the Night”, which gave off serious Dokken vibes. And considering that’s a comparison one can NEVER go wrong with, I figured, “I oughta investigate further!”
A good chunk of Eyes of Evil falls into this Dokken-esque brand of brooding melodic metal, if you will. Besides “Haunted by the Night”, which was an excellent single choice, cuts like “Still the Fire Burns” and “Chasing the Rain” nail the Tooth and Nail era sound, boasting big power chord-driven riffs, well thought-out guitar solos, silvery vocal stylings, and most importantly, an atmosphere of mystique. Admittedly, the power ballad, “Without You”, falls into this wheelhouse as well, but doesn’t do much for me in the long run, feeling a little too “Alone Again” lite for my taste.
As for the rest of the album, like so many in the so-called NWOTHM-sphere today, Show n Tell go full throttle down Enforcer avenue. Only whereas far too many of their peers come off as Enforcer lite with uninspired writing, predictable arrangements, sterile production, and so forth, SnT manage to sound more like Enforcer than Enforcer has for a couple albums now. Fiery headbangers like the opening “Out for Blood”, “Secret of Steel”, and the title track evoke the glistening speed of the 21st century trad metal gods circa Death by Fire. There are also some subtle Painkiller era Priest-isms on songs like “Fallen Angel” and “Journey to the Stars”, the latter of which features a cameo from one-time priest frontman, Tim “Ripper” Owens.
All things considered, Eyes of Evil is a damn strong offering of meat and potatoes traditional metal. There’s no reinventing of the wheel going on here, which is to be expected for a release of this nature, but the songs, production, and spirit are convincing enough to get any denim and leather-clad maniac headbanging and air guitaring in approval. Whether you were alive for the glory days of the heavy metal parking lot, or merely wish you could’ve shotgunned a beer with a character as memorable as Zebra Man, Show n Tell are the perfect band to double as a trad metal time machine.
8 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Enforcer, Dokken, Judas Priest
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