Devil Master : "Bloody Dreams"

This Philly-based band continues to dress up their punk sound with metal. By adding atmosphere as intros, they hide the fact that they are Gism decked out as black metal for Halloween. Some of the palm-muted thrashing moments on songs like "Trembling Like Dusk" help to disguise this fact. They do what they do well; it's not claiming who they are that is where I had a sticking point with them on previous albums . Granted I havethepromo pitch to read sitting in my email when I through the old in-box to find albums, but that presentation is improtant. The entire presentation is important. 

They go total punk on "Sex With Succubus"/ sure, there are some Iron Maiden-like guitar harmonies, but the overall energy is frantic and punk. They would not be the first punk bandd to rip off Iron Maiden. The fast and loose style of playing is high energy but gets a liuttle tiresome by "Death Anthem," which does have a cool metal guitar riff in it. But cool riffs alone is not a good song. It's not a bad song either, but was heading in that direction until they took control and gave it more purpose. 

"Bloody Dreams" starts with a plodding bassline and goblin vocals. It tries to be more metal, but the drummer has other ideas, and the vocals are too chaotic. It feels tedious midway in. The sung vocals are trying to be Mercyful Fate or King Diamond. It ends with a woman dramatically reading a poem. The last song, "Farewell Waltz," opens with a flutewhistling against the strum of guitar. The dramatic fashion it builds with is certainly metal, but I do not think that this is a metal album. It takes two minutes before they get to the meat of the song, explaining the bloated ten-minute run time. I will give this one an 8.5, which is what the last album they are arker andd more ambitious than your average punk band.It drops September 7th on Relapse Records

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