Devilment - The Great And Secret Show (Album Review)
Monday, 03 November 2014
Written by Alec Chillingworth
Having fronted black metallers Cradle Of Filth for over two decades, Dani Filth has turned his mangled hand to something else and, with promises from his side-project, Temple Of The Black Moon continually falling short, this outing with Devilment on 'The Great And Secret Show' is a welcome one.
As long as you delve into this album expecting something different from Cradle Of Filth, then there's plenty to dig your claws into. Devilment's core sound is based around earth-shattering riffs from Daniel Finch and Colin Parks, whose thick, defiant guitars anchor the record, allowing them to embrace a smorgasbord of styles while still remaining true to their original form.
Summer Arteries begins with a gorgeous lead that wouldn't go amiss on an Iron Maiden record before quickly descending into a quasi-electronic nightmare, while The Stake In My Heart and Living With The Fungus both exude a modern thrash rumble.
Many have flocked to Devilment's door due to Filth's involvement, and with good reason. The man has been a beacon for lyrical and vocal originality in a metal scene plagued by floppy fringes for years and 'The Great And Secret Show' finds him letting his hair down.
Doing away with his staccato Eric Cartman impression and sticking to guttural grunts, Filth weaves tales of goddesses, otherworldly drugs and werewolves with a literary prowess rivalled by few, while managing to get 'Hey, bitch! You're staring at the Werewolf Corps' in for good measure.
Focusing more on crafting deathly singalongs than brutalising the listener, there are less high screeches on offer than usual and duly, when he does burst into one of those piercing, nightshade black screams, it's truly something special.
Keen to experiment but never straying too far from a melody or two, Devilment prove themselves to be masters of duality. Lauren Francis' eerie keys haunt the title track, turning a thrashtastic beast into a horror movie soundtrack, middle eastern flourishes dot Mother Kali and Laudanum Skull and there’s a ghastly, latter-day Septicflesh vibe clinging to staring At The Werewolf Corps.
Although grounded in catchy riffs, 'The Great And Secret Show' covers a lot more ground than many will give it credit for. Packing enough grit to keep extreme metal fans entertained while retaining pop sensibilities and carnival wackiness to appeal to those less-versed in the caustic halls of Filth’s past, Devilment are on to something here.
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