Customer Reviews

Forbidden Evil

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Forbidden, once known as Forbidden Evil released this album as thier debut. The line-up is legendary. Two amazing guitarists Alvelais and Locicero plays so excellent, even Alvelais was the replacement for Alex Skolnick after his departure from Testament. You can hear excellent riffing from these guys and awesome drumming from Bostaph. Unlike other thrash drummers, he uses the cymbals incredibly. The production is very good also, especially it is very good for a '88 album. The voice of Russ is in great shape. He sings so deep; sometimes too high pitched but fitting the style.
There are 2 outstanding songs from this album. Forbidden Evil and Through Eyes of Glass... Excellent riffing, great guitar solos, tempo changes... Everything is excellently arranged. But the other songs also make me excited too. The songs are very energetic. There lots of riffs in all the songs and Russ's vocal lines are incredibly melodic compared to the other thrash singers.
Forbbiden sounds like Testament at times, but they have a different touch. Forbidden is maybe the most technical thrash band came from Bay Area.
I'll never get bored of this album. If you like Testament and same sort of stuff, go and buy this album. You won't be disappointed.

I'm a HUGE speed/thrash fan from the 80s, but somehow I completely missed this band the first time around. Well, it was my loss because this is some great stuff. I just got this CD this year, and I can't seem to get it out of CD player. Every time I take it out to listen to something else, I end up putting it back in almost immediately.

If you are into speed/thrash metal, then this album is a must-have. Great riffs, speed changes, lead guitar work, it's all here. All the songs are good, and many are flat-out great. It's a real unknown classic. There's absolutely no filler and the whole CD just rips from beginning to end.

It's too bad that latecomers to the scene, like Vio-lence and Forbidden, never really found the success of some of their predecessors. For my money, this album is better than anything Testament or Flotsam & Jetsam ever put out during the same time period, and I like both those bands. If you are speed/thrash fan, you'll love this album.

I love this CD!!...I put this one right up there with Metallicas' "Kill'em All", and Exodus' "Bonded By Blood" for the greatest debut releases in Heavy Metal.

Forbidden to me, is a mix between Maiden\Exodus. The vocals are very Maidenisc, and the music is pure speed and thrash. There is not one single filler on this CD. It's short, but every song is head-banging heaven.

Forbidden released "Twisted...." after this one, and it's very decent....But "Forbidden Evil" will always remain one of my favorite. It's what you would call a true "Diamond In The Ruff".

If your a fan of thrash, speed, or just a fan of good old fashion metal, you'll enjoy this!!!

the first time i ever heard of forbidden i was listening to a a.m. radio station out of san antonio and they were talking to members of the band forbidden. i thought to myself "who the ...?" the band members were labelling themselves as an "extreme metal" band. well, the next thing i knew they started playing "through eyes of glass" and it knocked me on my ass. even the poor sound quality from the a.m. station could not lessen the impact of their sound. i was always in to metal; such as metallica, anthrax, and iron maiden. but, this basnd took me to the next level. the awesonme guitar work, the excellent drum sound, and the air raid siren vocals had me hooked. i went out that next weekend to the record store in san antonio and bought the cassette. forbidden turned me on to a whole new realnm of metal; thanks guys.

So... Forbidden first album is a simply a "Best of...", a compilation of thier past best songs that they produced during the first years of life. If this is the result, their end has been really a great loss for the world of heavy metal. Their sound has been talked about as a typical Bay Area Thrash, but I'm not completely sure that this is the right term to define them... They're nearer to Destruction sound, heavier, fast, bloodier and very very original. From the first step on this album "Chalice of Blood" you hear the great musicianship of two axes Locicero and Alvelais... It's useless talking about the rhythm session: if Camacho is not very known among the most of metallers, all of you know Paul Bostaph, the greater drummer ever, now playing in Slayer. Great also the vocalist Anderson, very powerful and majestic!!! Besides the opener, other songs are simply electric: "Off the Edge", a social-involved song speaking about the problem of teen-suicide; "Through eyes of glass" a sublime track containing an evil and wicked riff head-crasher! Then "Forbidden", "March Into Fire" which sing about the nuclear-war, 'til "As Good As Dead", a track against the horror and stupidity caused by war! A great technic and ironic masterpiece which every thrasher must have. This group is a legend, an unlucky legend, 'cause many line-up problems gave the early end to its story, but I think an incredible talent-quartet like this one can't stand the shadows of forgetness... ... it's your time to judge...

Just as it happened with ANNIHILATOR'S ALICE IN HELL, Forbidden's debut was never surpassed by the band (Altough Never Neverland is the best Annihilator album).

They both suffered the same plague: their debut was recorded in 1988, when trash was already fading...

Song by song, we clearly see that we are dealing here with better, more energetic and aggresive musicians than Metallica. But Metallica came first, and that was the problem for Forbidden...

THROUGH EYES OF GLASS is the best song of the album. It's a masterpiece. But all the other seven tracks are very fine, the best metal can offer to the listener. Enjoy it, now that it was re-released.

Details of the reissue:

- Per usual the original artwork is sharper & brighter. And the reissue didn't have the Forbidden logo nor some of the "smashed" skull fragments -only on some stupid plastic overlay (noble transparent o-card) ... which also had unreadable song titles ... that weren't even printed on the back of the tray card!

- The original did not have the lyrics - the reissue did and a much more extensive booklet. The original was just a simply fold out ... but did have a black and white collage that wasn't featured in the reissue.

- The original back cover band photo was put in the reissue booklet just much murkier. The reissue has a different band picture on the back CD tray cover. But once again I had to print a track list!

- Reissue is way louder, slightly more separation and bass.

- The 4 live tracks are from the "Ultimate Revenge 2" soundtrack.

This Forbidden album is the landmark of how great metal was in the late 80s. I can't think of a single aspect of this album that is undeserving of anything less than 20 stars.

Forbidden brought together stunning guitar work, drumming that was out of this world, and trademark vocals that gave Iron Maiden competion.

I used to get goose bumps listening to Eyes of Glass. I was happy to find out when I recently threw this thing in that I still get them. An absolutely tramendous effort that brought elements to the Bay Area thrash scene other bands couldn't touch.

Future generations will laugh at the direction heavy metal took after this, pointing at Papa Roach and just wretching.

As with many of my five star reviews, this music comes from a time when being super good and recording the track until it was absolutely perfect were more important things than getting rich.

Forbidden is one of my all-time favorite bands.For all the thrash fans of the late 80's who never heard these guys, i recommend this album.These guys play with a lot of energy, and are all good musicians.This album features shredding lead guitars from Glen Alvelais and Craig Locicero, who also play complex,fast thrashing rhythm's.Also features outstanding vocals from Russ Anderson, and some great bass and drum work.Forbidden was a band that definitly should have been at the top of the 80's thrash scene.

This album from forbidden is one of the best tharsh albums at the late 80's. A must for a thrasher.