In the Red

As the career of thrash metal band Nuclear Assault was winding down, the band's drummer Glenn Evans released this, his first solo offering under the name C.I.A. in 1990. He tackles all instrumental and vocal duties on In the Red, making the disc's somewhat disjointed sound understandable. Friends and Nuclear Assault bandmates help out with some background vocals and guitar solos, but Evans relies almost entirely on his own performance skills. He proves that he can handle any thrash weapon of choice, but the drummer's first instrumental love is featured throughout the record and most prominently on "Moby Dick Part 2." Basically a two-minute-plus drum solo, the pseudo-tribute to John Bonham features a flurry of double bass work. Standout track "Turn to Stone" sports a metal gallop exposing the musician's early-'80s British influences that echo throughout this recording. With it's drippy lyrics and mellow guitar harmonies, the power ballad "Samantha" is a little out of place on In the Red, giving the Combat Records release a musically uncommitted essence. Some uneven mastering combined with occasionally spotty material prevent this debut from being a real achievement. But the multi-talented Evans still deserves credit for finding a way to passionately demonstrate his many varied abilities.