“It’s a different style of music for me,” says Jones of Devil You Know. “It’s heavy as anything any of us are known for but I get to do some different things people won’t expect. I’ve been singing almost all my life. Being around good songwriters and musicians in my former bands really helped mould me into who I am now.”
Devil You Know’s Nuclear Blast Entertainment debut is currently slated for an early 2014 release with international touring plans and a full touring line-up to be announced shortly. There is a beast in all of us and sometimes it is worth unleashing it to get the best from our emotions and this is one such time.
A New Beginning is a strong compelling beauty that is crisp and thrilling as it breaks free of its shackles and goes haywire. The rhythmic pulses are mesmerising, with tremendous harmonies, so there’s a chance of some good head bobbing here.
The track My Own is rhythmically stunning with good strong vocals engaging in a good balance. Again harmonies run rife and really give the track depth as it surges impressively to its formidable conclusion.
Embracing the Torture kicks off with a thunderous kicking of pedals and battering of the skins fantastic! Vocally compelling once again, the death defying screams blend perfectly with the gruff growls and the band have also added clean vocals to hit the balance and the track is nothing short of genius with strenuous guitar passages.
“There is nothing left to chance here, it is all mapped out and produced brilliantly with crisp edgy riffing to deep cataclysmic drumming, strong bass lines and vocals that push the boundaries and then some, and that comes with experience and the right people behind you”.
For the dead and broken boasts clever rhythmic patterns that twist and turn giving the track further depth. Delivering a rampant edge, along with a slower more intense feel. This is a certain addiction attached to it.
Seven Years Alone springs into life with gusto. The vocals wage war on the ears and pushes metal boundaries. The guitar holds a particularly warming chug whilst the drums are dramatic and powerful.
It’s over gives the band a push in the direction of sophistication with an urgent ballad, but it is not all soft and fluffy, as it intensifies with precision and emerges emotively supreme.
As this track A Mind Insane increases its grip on the aural the temperature rises to the rapaciousness of calculating guitars and savage vocal. The band have also added a mildly sensuous slow bit to its mix, but it doesn’t last long before racing off in the opposite direction. Drumming superb!
Crawl from the Dark hosts more challenging masterful rhythms that simply satisfy and grabs attention of the listener. It is drenched in a highly seductive temptation – the vocals are amazing on this track with an equal amount of musical twists on guitars that just go on delivering.
More bite size guitar than you can shake a stick at The Killer sends chills up and down the spine, the potency of its rich notes become apparent as the track furthers its journey and watch out for the caustic vocal intensity on this one!
I am the nothing gives us a glimpse of shrill electric guitar that is sounding urgent and immense. A constant kick of pedals starts, a clean vocal comes into play and it slightly kills the moment, this track I feel is slightly lacking any direction and the Achillies heel on the album.
Shut it down turns the notches up a great deal, this is brutal and unmerciful in delivery as it leaves the listener no place to hide. The vocal harmonies are rich and well balanced and no doubt this will be getting replayed a few times over, for me to simply bask in its powerful mastery, and soak up the intense vocals.
As bright as the darkness bubbles with ambience and holds a dark but rich vocal that is edgy and urgent, although slow paced in delivery it leaves a lingering sinister trait. Very different from any of the other tracks on the album.
One precision album that holds the balance of all the instruments, plus scathing screams and guttural growls so well, I would even say to perfection, although it comes as no surprise that the vocals would come up trumps as Howard Jones is the former Killswitch Engage and Blood Has Been Shed frontman, so this was a forgone conclusion, but give the man his due – he has definitely smashed it on this album, make no mistake, not mention the other artists who have come together and made this album what it is – incredible!
So how does an album chill you to the bone going from urgent mesmerising guitars to sinister ambience? By getting the balance one hundred percent right would be the answer to that! There is nothing left to chance here, it is all mapped out and produced brilliantly with crisp edgy riffing to deep cataclysmic drumming, strong bass lines and vocals that push the boundaries and then some, and that comes with experience and the right people behind you.
The only gripe I have with this album so far is that it just simply doesn’t last long enough. Even twenty tracks would be too short! The rhythms flow freely, and more often than not they give out an antagonistic vibe that gives way to ignite that spark and then the band offers you a ballad to wind down the intensity. One superb album, that offers everything on a metal platter! Feast on it!
9/10
Devil You Know ‘The Beauty of Destruction’ the 12 Track Debut Album will be released through Nuclear Blast on April 28th 2014.
This is amazing thanks for sharing this blog I have become a fan of your blogs now. This blog is so interesting and informative.