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Review Summary: I killed him too Jesus Christ, that's a pretty face, one that I've seen depicted and portrayed everywhere, from the Vatican in Rome to the private school where I received my primary education, as a Hollywood-like celebrity of literal glowing beauty with lush flowing locks of hair, whose character is typically wearing a robe ever so gently gracing the ground. It's with disappointment that upon entering my adolescence I learned that the most astute researchers of the Christian faith actually have little evidence to back up the accuracy of these portraits. The version of Christ that I had grown up with as a child had suddenly been lost to me, and in more ways one. With my increasing age came the presence of many more outside influences to distract me. The line between good and bad began to blur, one veil was replaced with another, so to speak, and a war began to rage on the inside of my being: two polar opposites converged upon each other, both seemingly equal in their strength, where once before one had clearly ruled the day.
Like I and so many others, Jesse Lacey seemingly found himself in a very like situation after having left South Shore Christian School. This feeling of insecurity with one's faith, born of outside influences and inward doubt, is the crux of Brand New's The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. It's an album that defines the unsteady spiritual state of many of Christ's followers, but is not strictly limited to those listeners in its appeal. The analogy of the Devil and God being at war can be extended and shifted to the polar combating ends of different philosophies and various other religions just take your pick from which conflict(s) to identify with. Above all, Lacey's appeal as a songwriter comes in his blatant honesty, seemingly removed from pride and arrogance, able to come down to our level like many of the legendary songwriters and just share with us in our uncertainties. The band act as spokesmen for our stasis of rabbit-like terror; truly, there are few things more frightening to human beings than when realizing that everything is not in our control and when our core security, upon which many base their lives, is put into question.
This is why The Devil and God is an album that defines the decade, placing so high on our collaborative best-of lists everywhere: it illustrates with sound where so many of us are in our lives, that turning point of picking a side or standing in the middle of the war undecided, between whatever or whomever the forces may be. It is not the most accessible of Brand New's discography, though by its nature it's probably best that it is not. The Devil and God is a weighted listen, fully involving, taking from our emotions unrelentingly and hitting on the doubt that most of us generally like to keep hidden. You'll find that Lacey is careful to keep his targets on rotation, never exclusively pointing the finger at God, His believers, or even himself. If anything, this just solidifies the theme of uncertainty that Brand New entangle the album in. There's no one directly responsible anymore; it's a war now, and all you can do is get out of the way and wait for it to end, pick a side, or pretend it's not even real. Whichever way you choose, The Devil and God stands as a gateway to the conflict, a buffer, a pillow even, and a reminder that not everything is certain, especially the very foundations of which that many of us build our lives upon.
other reviews of this album |
Knott- EMERITUS (4.5) The devil's stopped winning....
Sowing STAFF (5) Breathtaking, magnificent, and compelling. Brand New’s crowning achievement as one of t...
Channing Freeman STAFF (5) Settle, baby....
Winesburgohio STAFF (2.5) real irreparable loss hours / i'm too old for this shit...
EddieMarais (5) The night's hard to get through....
Altmer (4.5) Do I divide and fall apart?...
The Sludge (4) Long awaited follow-up to Deja Entendu is darker, edgier, and damn right good on this Inne...
North0House2 (5) I often think of you. Yet, rare is a night in these times where I let your sound be heard....
ciaranmc (5) Brand New realise the potential they've been threatening us with for years....
soleiletlune (4) Spiked with some unusual guitar effects, vocal lines, and unexpected turns, The Devil And ...
musicandwords (5) Completely dazzling, fulfilling and layered album that was well worth the wait....
Stormy Smiley Face (4.5) Brand New pushes the envelope to the best of their ability in order to create a more sophi...
IndieOut (4.5) Brand New's Magnum Opus...
bedwettingcosmonaut (5) The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me is surprising to say the least. I knew these guys h...
IAMSOEPIC (4.5) Dark and dense, yet accessible, a shadowy air permeating every crevice where Jesse Lacey's...
bobafe6604 (4) Brand New returns after 3 years of silence with an album that is truly stunning....
DhA (4.5) A breathtaking album by a band who have developed in leaps and bounds, held back only by t...
Tdunn99 (5) No words can describe the scope, significance and personal meaning of this album, even thi...
Rembrandt (3.5) The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me is an astounding achievement and will continue to b...
Quadrochosis (5) I can never lose it....
kevin234 (5) This is hitting rock bottom....
Mall (3.5) Sure as hell paid for that mistake...
barcafan21 (5) Brand New shows everyone that they are here to stay with their best effort yet....
failingnovelist (5) Lacey wages war on his own soul and the thoughts that keep him awake at night....
TheWalkinDude (5) I used to pray like God was listening...
MTObsidian (3.5) A random album never heard before turns into a brand new favorite....
iSkane (5) ...
zakalwe (2) Fail to be converted....
IdiotequeCigar (5) Music for people with big, fluffy hearts....
Understanding In a Crash (2.5) Well if your interested in the "Jesse Lacey" show you'll probably find yourself right at h...
Wildcatforever (5) ...
Christopher Y. (5) Jesus christ, what an album it is....
KTLL (3) With the exception of a few songs, you will know a track's progression by its opening chor...
bnththespinlite (5) Wonderful album, impressed, and worth the wait...
MyLoveOfMusic96 (5) "So we fixed you with cement galoshes, so no one can save you now, unless you have friends...
JackFr (5) You need to hear this album now. One of the most incredible pieces of art released in the ...
yidnarc (3) This is a great album if you remove the pop punk element...
crandynewman (2) it has sparks of potential to be a great album but the flame flickers out before the cd ge...
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Shouldn't this be in the staff section? What's wrong here!
| | | You write such fantastic reviews ponton. Cheers
| | | What's wrong here!
there are two things:
1. you asked a question w/o a question mark
2. this album got another review
| | | I stole it from myself
Thanks
Also I may be getting fired I guess but support the ponton
| | | Thanks grammar nazi I love my exclamation marks yo.
| | | That 1 of 7 tho.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Great review, Jesus has such incredible lyrics
| | | At the gates will Thomas ask to see my hands?
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
You're my new best friend
| | | shit dude that's an honor
| | | You remember this right? You worked on the list with us? I think
I love all you
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
What list? Are you talking to me?
| | | "Shouldn't this be in the staff section?"
Staff reviews of older albums (any previous year) no longer appear in the Staff Section. Well, it's either that or Jared's been fired for being drunk & disorderly again!
Oh, and one more thing: Deja Entendu > Devil & God.
| | | User decade list
| | | Davey... You can't be serious.
IMA drive down there
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
This needed another review?
| | | OK thanks wasn't aware.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Oh I get it, sarcasm. ; )
And yeah those were fun days. 2010 ftw.
| | | doesn't make it any less true makrand
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Yeah Davey, what the hell. Deja is like a 4.9, not even close to this obviously. Commence public shunning.
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