Cleopatra
's tribute compilations have often sounded like hurried cash-ins, but with
Evil Lives
they got it right. The performances are true to the original recordings to a fault, but what the album lacks in new perspectives it makes up for with obvious love for the songs. There's nothing embarrassing -- probably a first for
tributes -- and the punchy sound offers a clean alternative to
Sabbath
's sludgy records.
Vince Neil
comes out the winner with his spirited take on
"Paranoid,"
which includes a shredding solo from
George Lynch
. The only complaint is that
Primal Fear
's
"Die Young"
fades out right as it gets going. ~ David Jeffries