\n
We all know the feeling we get when a band we follow puts out the word that a new album is in the works.\u00a0 Sometimes there are updates along the way and sometimes we just have to be patient and wait.\u00a0 As the date draws nearer, the excitement builds and then, finally, it\u2019s here!\u00a0 Reaction to the newest release from The Devil Wears Prada will likely be formed largely by an individual\u2019s view of the band\u2019s history.\u00a0 No matter what the expectations were, many listeners are going to be surprised.\u00a0 Whether the surprise is positive or negative will depend on if you want more of the same or if you are willing to venture into uncharted territory.\u00a0 If you are willing to take the plunge, prepare yourself.\u00a0 This is a band that is not working within a box, and they have created a masterpiece called \u201cThe Act\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n \n One would think that writing about a masterpiece would be easy, that effusive praise would naturally follow and that hyperbole would abound.\u00a0 \u201cThe Act\u201d does not allow for any of this to come easily as there is so much going on with this album.\u00a0 Fans of the early days will still get plenty of screams, breakdowns and beatdowns.\u00a0 There are still plenty of heavy, chugging guitars and all of the metalcore trappings that people have come to know, love and expect.\u00a0 But there is also so much more.\u00a0 In abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n \n You want your heavy guitars? You\u2019ll find them big-time on \u201cSwitchblade\u201d, \u201cThe Thread\u201d, \u201cEven Though\u201d and \u201cSpiderhead\u201d, among others, but you\u2019ll also find plenty of other moments where the guitars are nothing short of beautiful.\u00a0 Between the composition of the songs and the use of effects, a moody and ethereal atmosphere is created and it runs through much of the album, especially in songs like \u201cWave of Youth\u201d, \u201cPlease Say No\u201d and \u201cDiamond Lost\u201d.\u00a0 This is not to say that these are soft songs, because they are not.\u00a0 They are edgy, but they also contain depth and maturity.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cThe Act\u201d isn\u2019t all about guitars, either.\u00a0 There are electronic elements running throughout, featured nicely in \u201cIsn\u2019t It Strange\u201d.\u00a0 On the flip side you\u2019ll hear piano worked into some of the songs.\u00a0 None of this takes away from the edginess of the album, and all of these elements work together to perfectly season each song they are featured in.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Does it feel like I am jumping all over the place?\u00a0 I am, and this album does the same thing, but in a very good way.\u00a0 Each song takes you to a different place, and many times they will take you to the edge and then pull you back, just before you reach the tipping point.\u00a0 This is perfectly executed in \u201cThe Thread\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cChemical\u201d builds right from the beginning and continues to ascend all the way to the end.\u00a0 \u201cNumb\u201d is a blender of the ethereal bleeding into an alternative sound, which then flows to heaviness before winding back to the ethereal.\u00a0 And so it goes, song by song.<\/span><\/p>\n The one element that ties everything together on \u201cThe Act\u201d are the vocal performances and how they are used.\u00a0 \u201cSwitchblade\u201d leans on the screaming, while \u201cLines of Your Hands\u201d hooks us with an excellent clean vocal chorus. But the songs that show true brilliance in their approach to the vocals are the ones that find a perfect blend of the two, and this happens often all throughout \u201cThe Act\u201d.\u00a0 The raw passion and emotion that comes through is undeniable and each song conveys the sense that every single word is not only important, but necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The approach to the making of this album must be credited, as the production works almost as another member.\u00a0 Layers of depth are present in each song.\u00a0 The electronic elements, vocal contrasts, effects and imagination used to produce \u201cThe Act\u201d are a big part of what will make this a legendary recording.\u00a0 The combination of performance and production provides for many surprises and unexpected twists and turns throughout the entirety of the album.\u00a0 A great example of this is found on \u201cPlease Say No\u201d, an intense song that builds to an emotional ending.\u00a0 This song literally gave me goosebumps.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The approach to the lyric writing is very suitable for the music as they are emotional, haunting and artistic.\u00a0 On the surface, the message of the album appears to be spiritually neutral, but, as with all art, this is open to interpretation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Act\u201d is an ambitious recording that swings for the fences and easily crushes it out of the park.\u00a0 Long-time fans of the group may feel that there are too many clean vocals or quiet moments, but this is without question the band\u2019s most mature work.\u00a0 The Devil Wears Prada have not only created a masterpiece, but they have also elevated the game for anyone else who is interested in playing. 4.5 out of 5 switchblades, highly recommended\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We all know the feeling we get when a band we follow puts out the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1020],"tags":[250],"class_list":["post-2785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review","tag-tdwp-d52"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n-JH Tomblin<\/p>\n