Attention, Evil Dead fans! On 27 March 2026, the American thrash metal band will re-release their cult albums Annihilation of Civilization and The Underworld on CD and LP, including a number of bonus tracks. Originally released in 1989 and 1991, the albums have been remastered by Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Armored Saint). At the time, both albums laid the foundations for the band’s career, which continues to this day following an extended hiatus. EvilDead's music has always featured a brilliant blend of speed and thrash metal with hard riffs, fast drums, and lyrics that address political and social issues, as well as horror and apocalyptic themes. 'The late eighties and early nineties were important years for us,' recalls guitarist and band founder Juan Garcia (Agent Steel, Body Count). 'We were signed by Steamhammer, released our first two albums and played some fantastic shows.' However, with the onset of the grunge movement in the early nineties, many U.S. record companies focused on signing bands that sounded like Nirvana. We never conformed to that trend, instead staying true to EvilDead’s thrash metal roots.”

 

EvilDead's debut album, Annihilation of Civilization, was released in 1989. It was recorded in collaboration with Casey McMakin (who has worked with Megadeth and Nuclear Assault, among others) at Music Grinder Studios in Los Angeles. “The recording process was a valuable learning experience for us,” Garcia recalls. 'We used some great equipment, and we were finally able to afford new amplifiers and better pickups for our guitars.' The bonus tracks ‘Run Again’, ‘Rise Above’ (a Black Flag cover) and ‘Sloe-Death’ were originally released as an EP, which is now completely out of print, while ‘B.O.H.I.C.A.’ was only available as a bonus track on the first CD version.

 

Just under two years later, their second album, The Underworld, was recorded with producer Warren Croyle at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. Garcia says, “The album sounded more progressive and received great reviews in Europe. We used a custom-built Rupert Neve analogue mixing console, which is famous for its contribution to the iconic sound of albums by Fleetwood Mac and REO Speedwagon, among others.” The bonus tracks for The Underworld include live versions of ‘The ‘Hood’ and ‘Darkness’ from 1992. No studio version of the song 'Darkness', which was originally written for a horror movie soundtrack, was ever recorded.