The Nature of Evil, originally released in 1998, was the 11th release overall from legendary German metal outfit Sinner, now appearing in deluxe remastered format from Metal Mind Productions. Why this band was never huge worldwide remains a mystery to this day-these guys consistently deliver classy, guitar driven heavy metal, and just about every release they have ever put out simply kicks some serious ass from start to finish. Led by bassist/vocalist Mat Sinner, the band here is rounded out by guitarists Tom Naumann & Alex Beyrodt (Silent Force/Voodoo Circle), keyboard player Frank Roessler, and drummer Fritz Randow. The Nature of Evil is chock full of meaty, riff-o-rama, as the band deliver the goods here in a big way, an album that is sure to please fans of classic power metal.
Opening cut "Devil's River" instantly grabs you by the throat with its blend of massive riffage and tasty keyboards, Roessler even throwing in a tasty Jens Johannson-influenced solo before a raging guitar lead shreds through the mix. Primal Fear belter Ralph Scheepers makes an appearance on "Question of Honour", and at that time, he had recently left Gamma Ray and formed Primal Fear with Sinner, so this was also somewhat of an introduction of their new partnership. This song worked so well that Primal Fear chose to re-record it on their release Seven Seals a few years later. Other highlights here include the epic, symphonic metal title track (a real triumph for this band), the speedy power metal numbers "Justice From Hell" and "Some Truth", the lengthy, bone crunching metal of "Dark Soul", the almost Loudness-influenced "Faith and Conviction", and the atmospheric cover of Thin Lizzy's "The Sun Goes Down". Throughout The Nature of Evil, there's no shortage of guitar crunch, the team of Beyrodt & Naumann really laying down some excellent walls of riffs as well as injecting some blazing leads, which is really what you want on a heavy metal release of this nature. Mat Sinner once again delivers a solid vocal performance, and though he's no Scheepers, he is effective at what he does. His bass playing skills are tight, working well alongside the nimble drum work of Randow, and Roessler adds the right amount of symphonic flourishes without getting in the way of the metal assault.
This remastered edition contains three bonus tracks, which with the exception of the raging "Twisted Mind" are a bit lighter than the rest of the material on the album, but still a welcome addition. The digipack also contains a colorful booklet adorned with photos and lyrics, making for an overall well-rounded and enjoyable reissue from the always dependable Metal Mind.
Oh yeah, and quite the freaky looking beastie on the cover!
Track Listing
1. Devil's River
2. Question of Honour
3. Justice from Hell
4. Nature of Evil
5. Some Truth (Has Better Left Unknow)
6. Dark Soul
7. Faith & Conviction
8. Rising
9. Walk on the Darkside
10. Trust No One
11. Sun Goes Down
12. Calm Before the Storm-bonus track
13. Searching for Your Love-bonus track
14. Twisted Mind-bonus track
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