Supergroups can be a deceptive ideal, bringing together members from previous bands will not necessarily mean success. Releasing their 2013 effort Devil You Know immediately garnered a following. Nevertheless personally I found the album to be somewhat of a let down. Banking on the idea that the band would pull it together much of the material sounded like your middle of the road Metalcore of the 00’s. Fast forward two years and the band are set to release their brand new record They Bleed Red but will it be the same affair.
[tracklist]
1. Consume The Damned
2. The Way We Die
3. Your Last Breath
4. Stay Of Execution
5. Break The Ties
6. Shattered Silence
7. Let The Pain Take Hold
8. Master Of None
9. Searching For The Sun
10. How The Emd Shall Be
11. Broken By The Cold
[/tracklist]
[details]
[length]47:00[/length]
[record_label]Nuclear Blast[/record_label]
[release_date]November 6th 2015[/release_date]
[/details]
Immediately the band hit the ground running with “Consume The Damned” proving this cynic happily wrong. However compared the previous to the following track and lead single “The Way We Die“, shows that the game has definitely been upped. At long last the absolutely huge choruses that monopolised the early two thousands are back. With Howard Jones‘ bellowing pipes bringing to life choruses matched with guitarist Kris Norris‘ frenetic fretwork make for fantastic lead lines that suit the song rather than aiming to force feed the band melody.
The surprises don’t stop here though, blast beats appear on the vicious “Stay Of Execution“. Drums also prove a dominant stature this time around seeing more interesting rhythmic patterns putting emphasis on sections perfectly. Ramping up the speed of the album and throwing away the midpaced tempo snoozing of Metalcore to bring the ideas that made the Taste of Chaos tour hurtling forward into the modern day. Despite the not so original titles tracks like “Shattered Silence” bring interesting new ideas to the genre that is so starved of ingenuity it’s end has been looming.
Returning this time the band aim straight for the jugular, with faster paced songs the likes of “Master Of None” begin to nosedive before they are saved by a well placed pre chorus though in particular after the Fear Factory style vocals the bridge makes way for a typically Norris style lead section which instead of utilising wah worship like so many of the Metalcore masses introduces and interesting and well thought out solo.
Nevertheless it’s not all about savagery, the more refined ballad “Let The Pain Take Hold” tends to stagnate slightly until once again another monumental chorus appears. Though there are hints of the guitarist’s Darkest Hour beginnings in “Searching For The Sun“, the overall feel of the album is one of more technical focus. Without forgoing solid song writing the tracks this time round are catchy and pack just enough of a punch all the while retaining a darker and definitely more ominous tone and even a talk box! Finale “Broken By The Cold” though sounding a little Machine Head like morphs into a fitting finish for the band’s latest release.
Devil You Know have not crafted the album of the year but then again they wouldn’t. The musical map is ever changing Metalcore for one has definitely had it’s day so with this in mind the band aim to try and break free from genres constraints. Showing its antiquated influence but ensuring that the band are a different modern entity altogether. Setting the scene with previous album the band now know where they are going and have returned faster, angrier and ultimately superior than before.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]Metalcore in the modern day got complacent, like a comfortable relationship the genre has no more effort put into it. They Bleed Red brings the passion roaring back into the mix, offering up songs that are charged full of energy and ready to go. [/why]
