Release Date: August 09th 2024. Record Label: Sixteentimes Music. Formats: DD/Cassette
20 YEARS: Tracklisting
1.Dust
2.The Hand That Feeds
3.Lava
4.What Remains
5.Serpent Days
6.Deserter
7.Pigs With Gods
8.Gold Sealed Tomp
9.Wrecked
10.Rise Above
Review
Swedish Psych Stoner Metal legends DEVILLE celebrate their 20th Anniversary in epic style with their new album 20 YEARS. The band have gone through their hugely impressive back catalogue where they’ve picked their most famous tracks or the “HITS” shall we say and included two new tracks. A track called DUST and a cover of NIN classic The Hand That Feeds.
DUST is the track that opens this excellent greatest hits package with and DEVILLE bring a fresh perspective to their trademark Fuzz/Doom/Stoner Metal grooves with a slight GRUNGE and PSYCHEDELIC aspect appearing. There’s a sublime Alt Rock atmosphere that allows the fast-paced and sludgy guitars build up a dynamic rhythm which is quite anthemic and hook orientated. The vocals are solid throughout with perhaps a Commercial Hard Rock appeal being added which DEVILLE are quite adept at providing.
The second track is the stirring cover of The Hand That Feeds. It would have been cool to see DEVILLE choose a heavier, darker and despairing offering from NIN but The Hand That Feeds is perhaps the perfect track that falls in with the overall journey of 20 YEARS. The cover is more muscular, aggressive and fast-paced with a kinetic Post-Punk energy compared to the original. Not wholly different but allows DEVILLE to deliver their own superb sounding cover.
The rest of the album sees DEVILLE selecting a mean collection of choice cuts that shows the band have been releasing a string of superbly written and hard-hitting anthems such as Lava, What Remains and Serpent Days. Each track shows a snapshot of what the Swedish Psych/Fuzz/Desert Rock/Stoner Metal scene sounded like at that specific moment in time. As you have moments inspired by KYUSS, FU MANCHU and Monster Magnet but with that Swedish Stoner Metal grit and vibrant Psychedelic energy which can be quite DOOM based.
Other standout tracks include: Deserter, Play With Gods, Wrecked and Rise Above.
DEVILLE undoubtedly had a challenging time on what tracks to include from their extensive discography and they could have included other tracks for their great albums. However, this doesn’t stop 20 YEARS being a perfect representation of what DEVILLE have become today compared to their early years and that’s one of the legendary bands to emerge from the Swedish Stoner Metal scene.
20 YEARS could act as the perfect gateway into the world of DEVILLE for the casual fan and still act as a wonderful record for their dedicated fan base to add to their record collections.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to The Metallist PR for the promo.
20 YEARS will be available to buy on DD/Cassette via Sixteentimes Music from Friday August 09th 2024.
Links
http://www.deville.nu
http://www.facebook.com/devilleband
http://www.youtube.com/devilleband
http://www.instagram.com/devilleband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/29xpUzbL2gwBW0VuHU26G8?si=wrQaMyq1SJyzro50Li6INQ
