EP Review: Eville // 'BRAT METAL'

Being a lifelong pro wrestling fan, I know a thing or two about a gimmick. So often, when something novel, or at least feeling such, comes along, it may get dismissed as a gimmick, a niche, too specific to catch on for any length of time. Of course this concept is all too familiar to nu metal fans, as if I hear one more backhanded compliment about the heyday of our genre, I might throw up on my shoes. To that end, a band like Eville could get written off as a gimmick: a trio of Brighton brats led by singer/guitarist Eva Sheldrake, throwing in with the pop-tinged metal acts such as Poppy, Kittie, or their ilk, with references to Nineties and Aughts culture to scratch that itch in the brains of those who grew up in that time. To those who may write off Eville as another “female-fronted” band, I encourage you to a) remove thy head from thine anal cavity, b) listen to more than just one song from them, and c) apologize and get hyped all over again. BRAT METAL is a four-song EP that comes out to about half an episode of a sitcom in length, and covers more ground to boot. There's a hookiness and energy to the release that makes it irresistible, much like the “Bikini Top” Sheldrake raps about in the third track. She's not a girl trying to be Fred Durst, she's carving her own path with her own rhymes and attitude, and it works. The aforementioned track is probably the most accessible, radio-friendly song of the four here, with a dead simple guitar riff and Sheldrake's matter-of-fact delivery, further reinforcing the “I will do as I goddamn please” swagger behind the lyrics. “BR4T MBL” sounds like something from The Matrix, with all the electronic window-dressing and chase sequence vibe. The bass is positively thumping here, to the point where one could almost get away with playing at a club should a crowd be receptive enough. Choosing it to start off the release was a careful decision, as it rides a fine line as the least nu metal song on the record, accomplished though it may be. It shifts into bitch track territory with “No Pictures Please,” as if the titular Brat Mobile in the first song stopped suddenly, pulled over, and kicked the dipshit passenger out in a huff. It's aggressive and abrasive, with plenty of groove to boot, and that's pretty nu metal, particularly when Sheldrake proclaims herself as “the brat metal girl” in the first verse. “Accidents Happen” closes out the EP, and it's a delicate balance of heavy and poppy with a lowercase P. We're back in bitch track country, all with a dance beat for the verses and a post-grunge / early metalcore chorus structure to boot, with a share of howls and growls to boot. This one puts the brat in BRAT METAL, cutting all of the cutesy shit - of which there was only so much to begin with - and sends the listener on their merry way. As a first release, BRAT METAL is a damn fine effort. Eville have found their sound, it would seem, with enough experimentation and exploration to keep things interesting. This isn't the same song four times over, but rather four different songs and messages that sum up what appears to be the Brat Metal modus operandi: look hot, take no shit, and be unapologetic about points A and B.