Album Review: The Devils Music – The Devils Music (Self Released)

The story around the creation of this album is an interesting one. Daniel J Finch was the guitarist of Devilment, a band better known as the side-project of Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth. They released their debut album, The Great & Secret Show in 2015 & you can read a review of that album here.

Things turned sour & Daniel Finch was effectively pushed out of the band he helped create. You can read more about that situation & more in our interview.

As bad as that situation was for Finch, every cloud has a black, dark lining and The Devils Music is the product of that. 10 songs that were originally conceived with a second Devilment album in mind, it features  a wide range of guest vocalists.

From Beyond has a nice eerie opening that slides into a catchy drum beat & Western-like guitar riff. It’s a strong start helped by the fantastic vocal work of Jambles Darby of The BloodShake Chorus. Dark & moody, the chorus is brilliantly catchy. A short interlude of guitar strumming keeps it fresh. There is a smattering of symphonic elements hidden quietly away & there is an argument for why they are even included as they don’t enhance the song.

Can You Hear Me couldn’t be more different vocally with the throaty roar of “can you hear me” stamping a death metal foot-shaped print all over your face. It’s an intense song that never lets up, fantastic drumming & plenty of guitar riffing that just begs for your attention. It’s hard not to give it.

Two songs in, two different styles of vocals…an album filled with guest vocalists. It’s always a concern that an album might feel disjointed, a group of singles instead. Thankfully here the music does the tasking  & it’s consistently heavy & good. The different singing styles compliments the music rather then detracting from it.

Daniel J Finch has assembled a hell of a strong line up of vocalists, with Jordan Fennell of Scream Serenity singing on Phoenix really standing out. It’s one of the few songs on the album where the music dominates though, which is a good thing. There is a lot of talent on show here & the melodies that drive this song really make it stand out.

One of my favourite songs on the album is The Smile That Hurts, a brutal undertaking with an intensely heavy beat that never lets up. Add the sneering & snarling vocals of Caeser of Ides of Winter & it’s easy to see why it’s one of the best songs on the album.

Considering many of these songs where written with Finch’s old band, Devilment in mind the gulf in quality is massive. The lack of a Cradle of Filth comparison with no Dani Filth vocals helps make the guitar work take a more prominent role.

There are moments that fall a little flat, The Strange and Dark is a so-so song lacking bite & the sudden drop to a slow gothic tone near the end is odd. The chorus does little for me & the vocals are bland. The same can be said for This is the End, a song that won’t live long in the memory. It’s not bad, it’s just middle of the road offering little excitement.

Thankfully the uniqueness that should come with so many different vocalist returns for Dvoid of Light. A deliciously gothic number that echoes & reverberates around the skull.

The album ends with a sudden increase in electronic elements with the confusing Cthulu, heavy guitar & drums mixed with death metal screeching vocals that are occasionally interrupted by this irratating electronic element. I love every bit of this song until that part comes in, it’s brief but pretty horrible.

The last song is Hate, a song that I couldn’t wait to start expecting a skull-crushing finale. Yeah…it’s more dance/electronica than anything else & I hate the effects put over the vocals. Near the 2 minute mark it briefly changes things up with the chorus being a more soaring style that sounds huge. It’s too brief though before returning to the style that started the song. Sure it’s got heavy elements (the drums) but every time I thought it might be turning for the better some shitty sounding effect ruined the moment. It’s a disappointing ending to a solid album with some unique music & vocals.

Full Track List:

1. From Beyond (vocals by Jambles Darby of The BloodShake Chorus)
2. Can You Hear Me (vocals by Lee Margaillan of Collapse The Sky)
3. Break Through (vocals by Ian Messy Messenger of Scream Serenity)
4. Phoenix (vocals by Jordan Fennell of Scream Serenity)
5. The Smile That Hurts (vocals by Caeser of Ides of Winter)
6. The Strange And Dark (vocals by Benjamin Skirka of (Iron Glove & Philophobia)
7. This Is The End (vocals by James Brett Marten of Hedra)
8. Dvoid Of Light (vocals by Edwin “Wrything” Mascorn of ex Episeed)
9. Cthulu (vocals by Vlad ìViperî Yasinsky of Viper Inc)
10. Hate (vocals by Matt Golder of Die A Villain)