When the Blood Brothers returned in 2024, Johnny Whitney was so energized by the run of shows that he never wanted it to end. He expected his bandmates to feel the same. They played to their largest crowds, including headlining the Best Friends Forever Festival. When it became clear that the Blood Brothers were not going to become an ongoing concern again, Whitney and fellow Blood Brother Cody Votolato began work on the songs that would become Evil Island’s debut. It is a welcome return that showcases evolution and growth for everyone involved, and it’s chaotic, unsettling fun.
From the opening track, “Melted Heart”, Terraform the Afterlife is a blast of Whitney’s screech and noisy, catchy guitars, so fans of his signature band’s sound should feel right at home. Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells joins them for this track, and it is immediately evident that Evil Island will forge a new chapter for Whitney and bandmates, but longtime fans will find plenty to love. “Terminatrix” features Michael Gatto of rising hardcore band XCOMM and has a breakdown in the middle of its breakneck pace as it crashes into the barricade at just under two minutes.
“Animal” is legitimately catchy, but there is a litany of unsettling images lurking in the lyrics that are classic Whitney, with the images of skeletons on fire and selling kids to slavery. These themes recall the bleak terrain of Crimes, arguably the Blood Brothers’ masterpiece and one of the most enduring statements on life in this cursed century. That trademark humor still shows up in songs like “Tiger Baby”, grounded by an insistent riff and its vocal hook.
It is an easy choice to select “T-Hexx” as the best song, but scoring Fugazi‘s Guy Picciotto for his first recorded vocal since Fugazi’s final album isn’t the only reason. The song covers a lot of ground, shifting shapes over and over across its nearly four minutes. It begins with a riff that would fit easily on the Blood Brothers’ swan song Young Machetes (which Picciotto produced), as Whitney’s shrieks lead us through the maze to Picciotto’s “Bad bad bad bad thoughts” and the call-and-response in the catchy chorus that even sounds a little like Fugazi.
Later, the song’s scratchy breakdown comes out of nowhere, morphs into a glam-adjacent riff for a moment, then returns to the explosive chorus. It seems a little unfair to Whitney and company on the surface to deem this the best song, given the esteem of the guest, but it’s as much because of the masterful construction as it is Picciotto. “Evil Island Death Cult National Anthem”, with its demented chant, “C-H-O-P-I-T up”, sounds like a fight song from hell, all squalls of noise and Whitney leading the chant.
In the second half of the record, the songs are relatively more accessible. “Grow Spikes” is built on a catchy riff, but the opening line is “Roxanne is gonna die soon”, and it alludes to an abusive relationship and an act of self-destruction. Jordan Blilie returns for “I Bought a Spell”, rejoining Whitney for a pendulous track that swings between relative calm and blasts of chaos before bursting into an undeniable chorus.
“Moonlight Doomlight” is legitimately catchy, with “doot-doots” and an almost glam sound, like if T. Rex or the Dolls somehow heard 1990s noise bands and got inspired. The same goes for “Blinding Rage” and “King Death”. Adding hooks makes Whitney and bandmates sound more confident than ever. It all comes full circle with “Suicide by Cop”, a track with a sinister riff as a backbone for Whitney.
The Blood Brothers and related projects like Neon Blonde and Jaguar Love have songs that break out of noise and hardcore, but they certainly weren’t those bands’ calling cards. Working with Ross Robinson again, who is a master of blending melody and noise, brings out the best in Whitney and Votolato’s ever-evolving songwriting. Whitney still paints an unsettling picture better than just about anyone and screams about it in ways some listeners might not connect with, but there are peaks behind the curtain here that are fascinating, and dare I say, moving, such as “Grow Spikes”.
Blending those moments of accessibility into unhinged blasts of unchecked excitement is what makes Evil Island’s debut so much more than a quasi-reunion. It should satisfy Blood Brothers fans while showing some songwriting growth. May this be the start of a rewarding second act for members of one of the key bands of noise and hardcore this century.