Album cover by Alexander Von Wieding. Photograph by Henrik Christoffersson. |
Much of 'Hydra' is lathered with this clean guitar sound and vocal sensibility while laced with clean production as a whole. To someone fully immersed in the often dirt-encrusted world of stoner rock, the effect of such tracks as "In Vain" and "Blood Crown" is truly striking. "In Vain" finds the band muting their riffs both literally and figuratively for a streamlined chrome-tipped approach. Deville showcase a deft ear for catchy, mass-appealing combinations of non-threatening rhythm and melody along the lines of the Foo Fighters' later, heavier radio hits. The first hints of something a little different than what the average stoner rock or Small Stone Records fan is expecting come on "Iron Fed" and this musical direction only becomes more apparent as 'Hydra' plays on. Even the non-painted cover art lets fans of the label know something a little different is going on here.
There's no real mystery as to how Deville are able to achieve their 'radio ready' sound. Melodic vocals do the trick nine times out of ten. It's something relatively few underground bands focus on, but Deville seem to concentrate on this aspect. Dynamics make up the other ten percent and Deville are no strangers to that aspect of the music either. None of this is negative criticism by the way
"Over The Edge" opens up the throttle on the band's more diesel smoke blowing, piston chugging heavy riffs as they begin to take center stage on each of the next few tracks. Each on in turn bottoms out the low end a little further. Chugging out a slow groove here, ripping a few faces off there and slamming listeners upside the head with two by fours of pounding pulsating rhythms are just some other aspects of what Deville does. They've got their sweet and sour sides with both turned up to eleven. Where the band really shines is when they combine the heavy with the melodic, as on the malefic "Burning Towers" or the thundering "Lava".
Highlights include: "Lava" and "Over The Edge"
Rating: 4/5
Total Run Time: 44:36
Andreas Bengtsson: Vocals, Guitar
Martin Hambitzer: Guitar
Markus Åkesson: Bass
Markus Nilsson: Drums
From: Malmö,Sweden
Genre: Stoner, Alt Rock, Grunge
Reminds me of: Foo Fighters, Greenleaf, Soundgarden, Truckfighters, Veracrash
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Better Reviews:
Temple of Perdition
Stoner Hive
Deville official website
Deville facebook
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