Review Summary: This album is worth listening to if you like The Devil Wears Prada. Overall if your new to this band this album isn't exactly the best example of their work except for maybe a couple songs. This album isn't their best release either. Zombie EP, With Roots
8:18, the fifth studio album of the Metalcore band, The Devil Wears Prada. Like I did their last album, I dove right in and listened to the whole thing without stopping. I always liked this band and I was optimistic about this album. Sadly, this album is a "meh" for me.
When I blasted through the album the first track was "Gloom", I noticed right away this band's utilization of synth and the intro to Gloom had an eerie feeling to it and I didn't know what to expect. After about a minute my face was blasted with chugging and Mike Hranica's typically (Since Dead Throne) beefy lows and wheezy and out of breath highs and mids. I watched all the studio updates for this album and I guess Mike sounds ***ty on purpose. The song overall got me pumped up and ready for the rest of the album.
I won't write a paragraph for every track but my current judgement is that the next two tracks, Rumors and First Sight could have easily fit in on their last album, Dead Throne. War was a bit softer and more interesting and proves that Jeremy's vocals definitely have improved unlike Mike's. About half way through War Hranica took over and but this time this song took a more distinct sound, helping to keep this album from sounding like a Dead Throne clone. War definitely demonstrates Mike's idea of sounding more emotional in his vocals.
8:18, the title track, is definitely a highlight. Kicks off with a bit of mellow instrumentals and Mike sounds as if he's shouting a poem as he's reading aloud, which I thought was actually pretty epic. After a minute, Jeremy jumps in and owns with his clean vocals.
Sailor's Prayer reminded of Dead Throne again, however the chrorus was actually quite catchy.
Care More stood out pretty well, as the softest song on the album. Jeremy shows off his singing again, and this song barely features any of Mike's vocals.
Martyrs was the only song I heard prior to purchasing the album, as it was leaked a while before the album was released. When I first listened to it I thought it was boring, and overall feels like filler. The song is pretty typical except that Mike take's over the task of the chorus and there's no clean singing. Easily one of the heaviest tracks.
Black & Blue also feels like it's just another song.
Transgress is pretty epic. A very eerie intro and then suddenly Mike Hranica just owns with his vocals and for awhile this track felt like a perfect combination of vocals, synth, and instrumentals. This track definitely stands out.
Number Eleven starts out with the intro that continues the overall vibe of the album, although this song really just kind of feels like "Just another song".
Home for Grave is filler.
In Hearts wraps up the album starting out pretty mellow then blasts your face off. One of the heaviest songs on the album and fits the role of the climax song since it includes all the good elements throughout the album. Epic singing and Hranica kicks ass. Instrumentals also stand out on this track.
