8:18＜Sea Blue Vinyl＞

The biblical verse "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" inspired the album title of the Devil Wears Prada's 8:18, and in that spirit, the lyrical content onboard is filled with hope, even though it comes from a very bleak place. Mike Hranica’s voice is relentlessly brutal, as he delivers a death wail over the Dayton, Ohio, faith-based, metalcore act's adventurous, technical shredding. Hard dynamic shifts between promise and anguish are often heard in Christian metal (see the work of Underoath or As I Lay Dying), and Jeremy DePoyster's clean vocals offer a nice counterpoint to the gut-punches delivered by Hranica. Hard signature changes and manic riffs keep things creative and challenging, while monstrous choruses anchor the songs to make them feel more visceral and accomplished than prior outings. Even though the band's fifth album comes after last year's split with keyboardist James Baney, it isn't purely a guitar-oriented affair. New keyboardist Jonathan Gering adjusts accordingly, and makes his presence felt in a number of sinister, ambient moments; most notably the industrial-flavored "Care More," a mechanical single that mirrors Nine Inch Nails before it reverts to a blistering inferno of guitar crunch and screaming. Executive producer Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and producer/engineer Matt Goldman (Underoath, the Chariot) take their fair share of chances, but their studio embellishments add weight to the extreme breakdowns, rather than water them down. When the Devil Wears Prada strays from the typical modern metal formula with progressive ideas, the results are almost always favorable, and 8:18 finds the sextet at their most provocative and heavy. ~ Jason Lymangrover

初の全米TOP 10入りを果たした前作から2年、USメタルコアの代表格がロードランナーに移籍して新作を投下したぞ! 敬虔なクリスチャンらしく、表題は新約聖書に由来するそう。内容のほうは演奏技術がグンと上がった印象で、デフトーンズを想起させるプログレッシヴな展開にゾクゾクさせられっぱなしだ! 曲調もストーナーを我流に解釈したようなものもあれば、エクスペリメンタル・ロックもあって、この手のバンドにありがちな似たテイストの曲をただ並べたぜ……的な作品とは次元が違うのである! さらに、激情型のスクリームも健在ながら、クリーン・トーンでエモーショナルに歌い上げるメロディーが素晴らしく、これは昔ながらのメタル・ファンも取り込めそうな予感! ひと皮剥けたな!
bounce (C)山口コージー