Formed by Francesco Artusato (All Shall Perish , Francesco Artusato Project) a beast of a guitarist, fleet-footed drummer John Sankey (Devolved, Divine Heresy) and vocalist Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Blood Has Been Shed), Devil You Know had all the promise of a powerhouse, and with its release Beauty of Destruction (Nuclear Blast) it delivers on all fronts. The songs are well-crafted, nicely developed and excellently executed. This actually sounds more like Divine Heresy than Killswitch Engage as it has a lot of gnat-ass tight Dino Cazares-inspired stutter riffs and relentless drumming.
‘A New Beginning’ kicks right in with pure a All Shall Perish ggression and a wall of guitars. ‘My Own’ makes a grand entrance with an almost Pantera-like drive, and goes into staccato rhythms with a tasty guitar lick on top and a catchy chorus. Here, Jones sounds most like the Howard we know (no pun intended) with some metalcore vocal stylings in places. ‘Embracing the Torture’ features some very nice drum work by Sankey and shows off Jones’ range as he goes from growls to melodic chorus hook. ‘For the Dead and Broken’ dials it back a bit, and may be the most commercial sounding song on the release. Bringing in melodic vocals with effects, tamer guitars, and a sing-along chorus, it is reminiscent of In This Moment or Fall Out Boy (if they went Metal). ‘Seven Years Alone’ is very well-arranged song. The multi-layered vocals shine, but Artusato gets to flex his guitar chops quite a bit as well. This is also more on the commercial side of metal but it still hits hard. ‘It’s Over’ is more of a straight-ahead tune that has a Sevendust-like bent; pounding yet soulful. ‘A Mind Insane’ lives up to its title, a mix of tempos and mood with all members showing their strengths and then ending quietly, as if the subject broke free…or got his medication. ‘Crawl from the Dark’ has a sweet, almost dreamy groove in the verses while easily siding into a heavy bridge and chorus, and ending with a blistering solo by Artusato. ‘The Killer’ is a stuttering, creeping thing, with an almost subversive layer of acoustic guitars and a sneaky guitar riff slithering through the chorus. ‘I Am The Nothing’ is a song that features little hooks throughout with just enough keyboards/programming to add interest and color, and Jones really keeping the mood of the vocals in line with the subject matter. ‘Shut It Down’ is a show-closer, with a vocal line that begs to be shouted along with and an outro that will get folks mixing it up in the pit. Closer ‘As Bright as the Darkness’ is dark and cool with flanged-out guitars and vocals layered with echo. It reminded me a bit of ‘Aerials’ by System of a Down in flow and mood, and Jones channels a little bit of Pete Steele as well vocally which is cool as hell.
The production by Logan Mader (Gojira, Divine Heresy, Soulfly) and the mix job by Chris “Zeuss” Harris provides a crisp, big, in-your-face sonic experience. Jones is in excellent vocal form, and while you can recognize the voice, there is definitely a growth and depth that is great to hear. He has clearly found a new “home” in Devil You Know, and in this reviewer’s humble opinion, this release is superior to KsE’s last as good as that was. Good for him…and us.
9.5/10
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Lynn Jordan