Evil Scarecrow – Chapter IV Antartarctica

Evil Scarecrow are back with a new album, and rather than making us wait five years like they did with “Galactic Hunt”, they’ve been hard at work and are releasing “Chapter IV Antartarctica” just two years after “Galactic hunt”. With most bands it would be safe to assume that a title that starts “Chapter IV” means it’s their fourth album, but with the lunatics in Evil Scarecrow you have to double check (and yes it is their fourth album) – it wouldn’t have surprised me at all if Chapter IV was actually their 5th album.

So, what’s the album all about. Here’s some insight on the new album from Dr Hell:

“Chapter IV: Antartarctica is (as the title expertly suggests) our fourth full-length studio album. We really wanted to push our musical boundaries and create a record that connects with the world we live in today. I think everyone can relate to the endeavours of a sandal-clad monk bravely exploring a sub-antarctic wasteland, on an unknown quest, enduring the extreme elements and battling his inner demons… and an ice slug who shoots frozen milk…If not that, haven’t we all had to live with a malevolent ‘Polterghost’ at some point? Laddering our tights and chucking spaghetti about the place… Bastards.

Equally relatable is our track ‘Gus, Zag and the Turnip King’. The amount of stories you hear up the pub about staunch satanists accidentally summoning a two-headed turnip monster, instead of our lord Beelzebub, which then goes onto destroy the earth. Then, in a final desperate act of time travel, two people are genetically melded together through a space vortex, horribly mutated to become the aforementioned taproot. It’s a classic grandfather paradox tale that speaks to us all.

Despite the deep socio-political messages, we also wanted to reflect and record important parts of our recent history. Everyone remembers the devastating Mars invasion of 2017, right? In our defence on this one, we did write the song in 2016, so it could have happened. Or maybe it did and you’ve all forgotten, too busy with your heads buried in social media, no doubt!

The fact that you have read this nonsense this far is frankly a miracle. Maybe you need to get out more. Y’know, do some outdoor activities or something. We’re all going to die, probably much sooner than we would like. The least you can do is get some fresh air and watch the sunset with a loved one, silently reflecting on the darkness that follows the final, gasping rays of the dying sun as a metaphor for the bleak ending of your own insignificant existence…

Oh, there’s also a song about a cosmic goth moth!

Well actually it’s sort of about his gong. It’s called ‘Cosmos Goth Moth Gong’.

So having read that are you completely informed? Ok I’ll add a few words, but first check out the video for Red riding hood…

“Hurricanado” is a song that’s been around for a while – the band released the video for it two years ago, and as it’s been played live plenty of times, fans have no excuse for not knowing the song arleady

They’ve recently released the video for “Polterghost”…

Those two videos plus “Hurricanado” should give you a fairly good idea of what to expect, but those are far from the only good songs on the album – there isn’t a weak track on the album.

“The ballad of Brother Pain” is a track that stands out as different and is not a typical Evil Scarecrow track, but it’s a bloody good song.

Right from the opening track, “Skulls of our enemies” I was impressed enough to think this looked set to be their best album yet, and the more I listened the more I was convinced that first impression was correct. Yes Evil Scarecrow are a parody band, but if you strip away the humour and craziness then what you’re left with is damn good metal music – this is a band that really can write and play great music – the humour and insanity is just a bonus that helps make their live shows truly entertaining.

What can I say – it’s a superb album. Buy it, learn the songs then get yourself down to an Evil Scarecrow live show for a night of insane fun.

Track listing:

1. Skulls of our enemies
2. Red riding hood
3. Way to die
4. The magician
5. Hurricanado
6. Gus, Zag and the Turnip King
7. Polterghost
8. Cosmos Goth Moth Gong
9. The ballad of brother pain
10. Antarctica