Review POP EVIL “What Remains”

US metal band Pop Evil will release a new album called “What Remains”. The five-piece from Michigan formed in 2001 and have had some success, especially in their home country. “Up” went straight to the US charts, while the last releases couldn’t follow the success of the earlier albums, and it could be that “What Remains” will be a turning point.

The eighth longplayer contains ten songs that follow the winning formula of Pop Evil. The band name says it all. Pop Evil create music that contains some modern metal outbursts as well as the band embedding sweet melodies that opened the band’s music to a wider audience. The title track is a typical example of this musical concept. There is the big chorus that interacts with the massive riffing, reflecting modern metal with all its heaviness.

One of the lead singles is “Wishful Thinking” which is another energy driven moment on the album. It takes the approach of the title track a step further as the contrasts are even more present.

Taking each of the songs individually means that we have some wild and modern metal tracks with a good groove and catchy melodies. Listening to the album as a whole reveals a very similar approach to songwriting. Each of the songs is structured in a similar wayand there are no major surprises or twists.

“What Remains” is an album that doesn’t offer much new while the five-piece band continues their musical journey through the fields of modern metal.

Sometimes there are some evil moments, especially when the thunderous riffs take over, while there is also a lot of “pop”. However, what makes this release stand out is the very powerful production which intensifies the heavier parts of this record. In the end, “What Remains” is a standardized alternative metal effort that can be enjoyed, but it doesn’t provide the big wow-moment.