Devil Sold His Soul have had a frustrating career path. They are one of those bands that constantly seem on the brink of doing something great, but have so far failed to get over that hump. It’s not that they lack ambition, in fact their mixture of floating ambient soundscapes and riff heavy metal is exactly that, but three albums into their career they have still failed to write the songs that will truly push them into the stratosphere.
Entering into this discography is their latest EP, ‘Belong ╪ Betray’, which is the band’s first on Basick Records and more importantly, their first with new singer Paul Green. ‘Devastator’ kicks us off, floating into life with its very melodic intro. It is a track that instantly feels epic and even as it gets a bit heavier, it never leaves that feeling behind. Devil Sold His Soul appear to be focusing on the progressive sections of their sound and it’s a choice that serves them well. Green’s voice sounds great, whether it be the emotional screaming he does on the introduction to ‘Time’ or the clean vocals he belts out during the huge sounding ‘Alive’, he has a cracking voice and it fits seamlessly with the band’s sound.
Those wanting things a bit catchier have something for them too, as ‘Unveiled’ show the band have that in their locker. The metallic riff that runs through it brings to mind Deftones as their bounciest and it’s the kind of song you can see a room of people going crazy for. However, moments like that are still slightly lacking on this EP. Devil Sold his Soul still feel a bit like a band who are set to be admired rather than loved and if they want to truly make the step to the next level, they need a few more songs in this ilk.
‘Belong ╪ Betray’ is another look at the potential within Devil Sold His Soul. With the inclusion of Green, they sound like a band ready to do big things, the next task for them is whether they can live up to that billing. They are a tight band, about as musically spot on as you can get and if they can find the songs to go along with that, then the world truly could be theirs for the taking.
