Eva Under Fire: Villainous
Detroit five-piece Eva Under Fire’s latest album, ‘Villainous’, is set to be released on July 10 and is packed with hard rock anthems featuring honest lyrics that explore themes such as fear, trauma and confronting the past head-on. Across many of the new tracks, vocalist Amanda Lyberg draws on her career as a licensed therapist to create emotionally honest lyrics.
The opener, ‘Awakening’, is powerful and inspirational. With its quieter beginning and louder ending, it creates a sense of going through a difficult time and coming out the other side, feeling able to be your true self. The lyrics discuss "conquering personal demons", as Lyberg describes it, as well as the euphoric feeling that comes after allowing yourself to recover from past trauma. The song encourages fans to feel that they can always talk about how they feel and that they can always get through hard times.
‘Survive My Scars’ has some of the heaviest riffs on the album and is sure to create some great mosh pit moments. The lyrics explore a toxic relationship that made the narrator feel broken, showing that it’s okay to go through times that make us feel worthless, but that we can rise above what’s happened and survive our scars. That theme of emotional struggle continues on ‘The Words You Say’, whose anthemic chorus examines a relationship where the narrator’s partner recognises their pain but only offers support when it is already too late. Through this, the band criticises those who withhold care until a crisis point, reinforcing the idea that everyone deserves consistent support from the people they love.
‘Dark Soul’ explores the moment of recognising your inner demons, asking the haunting question, "When you become a dark soul, where do you go?" It captures the realisation that true healing can only begin by confronting those struggles head-on, reinforced by the defiant line, "But I can’t stay this way". In doing so, the track inspires listeners to believe they can overcome whatever they are facing.
As Lyberg explains, ‘Murder Scene’ examines how "dreams become nightmares when the same people who once cheered for you are now criticising you". This is reflected in the lyrics, "All my dreams have become my nightmares/ Falling through the midnight air/ Should’ve known better when the smiles turned to stares". The song highlights the emotional toll of judgement and betrayal while encouraging empathy, reminding us to support one another so that everyone feels empowered to be themselves and pursue their ambitions.
Closing the album, ‘A Violent End’ opens with a powerful riff before exploring how difficult it can be to speak openly about pain. However, the track also conveys the strength that comes from confronting and releasing trauma. The repeated refrain, "it’s a violent end", reinforces the idea that healing is rarely straightforward, but resilience is always possible. By ending on this message, Eva Under Fire leave listeners with a sense of hope, encouraging them to face whatever is hurting them and reminding them that even after feeling broken, they can rebuild themselves.
Overall, ‘Villainous’, with its hard rock sound and emotionally honest lyrics, is a great album that fans of Eva Under Fire can get excited about. The band stays true to its core values, highlighting the importance of talking about your mental health so that you can face your demons, while also encouraging people to support one another through hard times. Each new track is sure to be a highlight of the band’s upcoming North American tour supporting Five Finger Death Punch, and I cannot wait to see what’s next for the band.