Review Summary: Devil is a proper continuation of Bone Palace Ballet/All's Well That Ends Well with a dash of D.R.U.G.S. thrown in for good measure.
Being the first Chiodos album with Craig Owens since 2007's Bone Palace Ballet, a lot of hype was made surrounding the development around this album. Many fans (myself included) were left wondering what style this album would follow. Would it continue the sound of Illuminaudio? Would have any influence from Owens experiences in D.R.U.G.S.? Or would it be a continuation of Bone Palace Ballet? Well, I can honestly say, that Devil is a proper continuation of Bone Palace Ballet/All's Well That Ends Well with a dash of D.R.U.G.S. thrown in for good measure.
Album opener "U.G. Introduction" sets the mood perfectly for what is about to come. The song itself is a simple piano track played in classic Chiodos fashion, but while the song is just under a minute in length, it's haunting tone and uncertainty prove that Chiodos still know how to write an opener that grabs the listeners attention. Lead single and third track "Ole Fishlips is Dead Now", starts heavy with furious double bass from drummer Derek Frost and a ferocious guitar riff from Lead guitarist Thomas Erak, it then fades into a spoken word section from Owens. The track is fast, heavy, and has an almost evil tone to it. The band goes full on evil with track four "Why The Munsters Matter". The song itself is about how people are perceived as outcasts based on their outward appearance. Everything about this song is classic Chiodos, with horror movie imagery, frequent uses of pianos and strings, and a certain technical flair from the guitars and drums.
The D.R.U.G.S. influence shines bright on ballads such as "3 AM" and "Under Your Halo" while songs like "Duct Tape" and "Behvis Bullock" show Chiodos expanding their sound in a more RnB and Heavy direction respectively. "Sunny Days & Hand Grenades" is more of classic Chiodos, complete with spoken word sections, children cheering, and cynicism. The song talks about what we see as the "perfect" family and all the hate, filth, and unfaithfulness that comes along with it.
Production on this album was handled by David Bottrill and sounds clean and perfect, yet grimey and dirty, all when it needs to be. All of the members play to each others strengths and push each others boundries to create what sounds like the most organic Chiodos album to date. Bradley Bell and Craig Owens are especially exceptional in their rolls, while Craig's singing sounds much less whiny and is much more consistent in his performance, Bell creates the overall tone and mood throughout most of the album with his exceptional string and piano work.
Devil is the pure essence of everything that was Bone Palace Ballet/All's Well That Ends Well, with the added benefits of better production and a re-invigorated sense of urgency that came along with the addition of former members and adopting a new one, adding yet another layer to the complicated sound that is Chiodos. If you were a fan of Illuminaudio, then you will probably see this as a step back for Chiodos, but if you were disappointed by that album, then give this a spin and you'll feel right at home. Chiodos is back doing what they love, and we couldn't be happier.
