Evil United

Austin metal’s Mad Max, blood-and-guts screamer Jason McMaster, guns another righteously feral juggernaut in Evil United. Tight coils of 1980s thrash tree-ring fat tendrils of 1970s classicism, entwined in the frontman’s Mercyful Fate/Judas Priest vocal fusion. Born between here and the Alamo City, Evil United jackets a modern ferocity in old-school sonic separation, charging open on kidney jackhammer “Blasphemer” then unleashing a gyroscope fusillade of riffs in “Dawn of Armageddon.” Speed modulations of “Speak,” from haunted atmospherics to a 100 mph guitar solo, contrast “Dark Serenade,” which layers acoustic balladry and electric Uli Roth into a 1970s, Scorpions-loving instrumental. Axe men Todd Connally and John Valenzuela tag-team melodic counterpoint and grinding rhythms (“Walking to Sodom”), while Don Van Stavern (bass) and skinner Jason West go loco. Firestorm closer “Massacre” blitzkriegs Thin Lizzy’s original. Evil United, pledge today. (CD release: Encore Records, Friday, May 20, 7pm.)

***.5

This article appears in May 13 • 2011.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.