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Evil Beyond Belief

      
         
         
         
     
             
The Sanity Days are a heavy/power metal band from the UK formed in 2011 featuring four former members of Onslaught: Steve Grimmett, Steve Grice, Jase Stallard and Alan Jordan. Originally formed as a project to play the 'In Search Of Sanity' (1991 Onslaught) album at selected venues and music festivals around the world, the band have now written an album of new material, due for release in 2015.    
             
1985 saw the release of two landmark albums in the NWOBHM movement ... 'Power From Hell', the debut album by Onslaught and 'Fear No Evil', the second album by Grim Reaper. Who would have thought thirty years later that founding members of both bands, Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper) and Steve Grice (Onslaught) would form a new band and release a new album?    
             
Well, they have. And here it is. 'Evil Beyond Belief' was released in February 2015 and if your were expecting a thrash metal, or NWOBHM revisited sounding album, you would be very much mistaken. The album is packed to the rafters with solid hard rock fused with power metal. 'Genesis', a spoken word intro by a young child sets an eerie, spooky and evil vibe for the first song 'Charlie' to kick in on the crest of a superb, buzzsaw riff that hits you square in the forehead, very hard. 'Charlie' is over eight minutes in length and has plenty of guitar work, pounding drums and great vocals. For me, Steve Grimmett is one of my top three vocalists ever to grace the British heavy metal scene (the other two are Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest)), and his voice is as strong now as it has ever been.    
             
'Satan's Blood' is a shorter, hard edged rock song that foot stomps its way majestically through some memorable hooks and melodies, while 'My Last Words' rolls in and swings authoritatively at a mid tempo pace with an infectious foot tapping groove. The title song 'Evil Beyond Belief' kicks in at over nine minutes in length, is a hard rock stomp and has a sinister sounding vocal performance as Grimmett sings "I'm evil beyond belief". Ronnie James Dio (Dio, Black Sabbath, Rainbow) changed the face of heavy metal and inspired generations of bands and will continue to do so for years to come...'Ruler Of Eternity' is a tribute to Ronnie and has the feel of Dio-era Sabbath with heavy doom laden guitars, pulsating drumming, and a vocal performance that kind of imitates the style of Ronnie.    
             
Continuing with the mid tempo stomp vibe of the album is 'My Demon Mind', displaying the "new" sound of the band. Definitely not thrash, nor NWOBHM or traditional British heavy metal, the band have stepped squarely into the power metal genre with big riffs, thunderous drums and powerful, clean vocals. And, as with all power metal albums over recent years, there is the obligatory ballad - 'Broken Wings' is this offering from The Sanity Days and at over six minutes in length is maybe a little too long for a ballad. But, that said, it is a definite lighters in the air moment and an opportunity for Grimmett to stretch his voice, Jordan to display his skill as a guitarist and both Grice and Stallard to play support.    
             
Thunderous drumming, a foot taping rhythm and the catchy infectious groove of 'Closer To The Edge' will have you gently nodding your head in appreciation. All songs on the album are well written, well played and mixed extremely well, which is what you would expect with the considerable experience that all the band members have. By a long shot, the best song on the album has been left to the end. 'Firestorm' is the fastest and hardest offering and does have the odd hint of the bands' early thrash style, but it is by no means a thrash metal song. Rocking like a ship in rough seas, 'Firestorm' will shake the cobwebs from all the old rockers/metalheads that were around in 1985 (like myself) and have them punching the air in delight.    
             
Overall, top quality power metal from top quality musicians, 'Evil Beyond Belief' is packed with mid tempo, hard edged, foot stomping hard rock.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
             
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