Album Reviews : Devil You Know – The Beauty Of Destruction

Hardly halfway through the year and 2014 has already seen some absolute turn arounds in the metal scene and Devil You Know happen to be one of them with their debut album. The Beauty Of Destruction, produced by Logan Mader, ex-Machine Head guitarist definitely has a distinct and intense sound,the band being a collaboration of some of the most talented names in metal featuring ex Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones, Ryan Womabcher of Bleeding Through fame on bass, Francesco Artusato from All Shall Perish and Roy Lev-Ari on guitars with John Sankey, ex drummer of Divine Heresy beasting the drums. The name of the album seems rather apt when you listen to it and just like their live performance, the album promises to be an absolute face-melter.

A killer start, The Beauty Of Destruction opens with ‘A New Beginning’, culminating choral yells, a series of intense grooves and aggressive riffs, Howard Jones’ pulsating vocal chords sounding massive, it makes for an absolutely brutal start. The chorus is something you will definitely start ‘singing’ along to, “ As Long As We’ve Got Something Left To Fight For” followed by the catchy tunes of ‘My Own’ which features Howard’s strong clean vocals , some melodic sections that make D.Y.K’s sound pretty exciting and and quite frankly addictive. ‘For The Dead and Broken’ and ‘It’s Over’ have a slower rhythmic pace and clean vocals that show the more subtle side of this band, giving the album a quick new direction before exploding into more metalcore madness. Tracks like ‘Embracing The Torture’, begins with a very ‘djent-y’ , groove-filled intro which is mainatined throughout, and Seven Years Alone showcase more technicality behind their music in the form of some brilliant vocal transitions, and instrumentation. The chorus on ‘Seven Years Alone’ transcends from a mind-numblingly fast intro with thunderous drums, Howard exploding into a strong piercing scream, to a steady pace during the chorus which is brilliant, given the way these guys balance out the melodic passages with maddeningly heavy guitars and guttaral growls. Standout track on this album is definitely ‘A Mind Insane’, heavy given a whole new meaning with blast-beat fury, courtesy of John Sankey’s mad drumming skills, and a very death metal feel. ‘The Killer’ and ‘Shut It Down’ are also tracks to keep an ear out for, exhibiting well-paced song structure, more supersonic drum blasts and soaring vocals.

Closing with the trippy and in a way, electrifying’As Bright As Darkness’, with spine-chill inducing vocals and dark yet soft guitars, it ends the album on an unexpected yet satisfying note. The lyrics throughout this album are soulful, hold so much personal meaning and aren’t just a bunch of words strung together. There’s a good balance of rhythm and heavier elements to keep you hooked till the end, each member bringing in a significant amount of their own style. It’s amazing how these guys sound together given that this is their first album, yet it seems as if they’ve been around for years. As many people may assume, there are a few elements here and there that are reminescent of KsE but Howard and Co. have certainly experiemented with their music and done an ace job at that! ‘Devil You Know’ have made a statement with their debut album and this is definitely one you want to get your hands on and lose your mind to!

Band: Devil You Know
Album: The Beauty Of Destruction
Year: 2014
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Origin: United States
www.facebook.com/Devilyouknowofficial

Tracklisting:

1. A New Beginning
2. My Own
3. Embracing The Torture
4. For The Dead And Broken
5. Seven Years Alone
6. It’s Over
7. A Mind Insane
8. Crawl From The Dark
9. The Killer
10. I Am The Nothing
11. Shut It Down
12. As Bright As The Darkness
13. Sacrifice (bonus track – vinyl LP only)

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