ALBUM REVIEW: Flowers – The Devil Wears Prada
After nearly twenty years carving their place in modern metalcore, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA return with Flowers, an album that feels less like a typical release and more like an emotional narrative. It’s a record shaped by grief, reflection, and the strange process of trying to rebuild yourself after hitting emotional lows. Rather than relying solely on the heaviness that defined their early work, the band channels their intensity in new directions. Sometimes it’s softened into ambience, sometimes redirected into cinematic arrangements, and sometimes pushed into raw vulnerability. The result is their most atmospheric and emotionally exposed album to date.
Opening track That Same Place is a brief but meaningful introduction. Instead of guitars or screams, the band sets the scene with soft piano, light strings, and a film-like spoken sample drifting through the background. It has the feel of a quiet prologue, easing the listener into a mood of introspection before the heavier material begins. Though short, it plays an important role in shaping the album’s emotional arc, establishing a sense of tension and anticipation that carries forward. Following this is Where the Flowers Never Grow, shifting abruptly into familiar territory. This is one of the album’s strongest and most energetic tracks, blending vibrant riffs with melodic clarity. The song embodies the central theme of trying to flourish in places that actively stunt growth. The chorus hits with emotional force—memorable without leaning into pop polish, heavy without trying to be aggressive for its own sake. It’s a track that demonstrates the band’s ability to merge their past and present sounds into something cohesive and compelling.
Everybody Knows takes a different emotional angle, diving into anxiety and the internal noise that comes with spiralling self-doubt. The rhythm section keeps a steady pulse while the guitars oscillate between brightness and tension. The vocals shift from anxious urgency to quiet reflection, giving the track a layered emotional feel. It’s deceptively catchy, but beneath the hooks lies a sense of unsettled vulnerability that reveals itself more with each listen. So Low marks the album’s first major descent into emotional fragility. Electronics take centre stage, creating a hazy, drifting atmosphere. The vocals feel exposed, almost trembling, and when the harsh vocals finally appear, it’s like pressure bursting after being held inside for too long. The contrast between gentle ambience and explosive catharsis makes this one of the album’s most affecting pieces, capturing the turbulent cycle of breaking down and patching yourself back together.
For You leans into ballad territory while maintaining sincerity. The arrangement is soft and deliberate, giving room for the vocals to convey longing, devotion, and fear without being buried under instrumentation. When the chorus rises, it does so gracefully, offering emotional weight without melodrama. It’s one of the band’s most accessible songs, but also one of the most heartfelt. If anyone begins to wonder whether Flowers signals a fully softened THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, All Out quickly disputes this. This track is a burst of aggression – sharp riffs, powerful drums, and guttural vocals that hit with force. However, the cinematic edge remains intact, with strings and dynamic shifts woven throughout. The ending feels like emotional collapse rather than simple heaviness, showing the band’s evolving approach to intensity. Ritual brings a looping, atmospheric quality that slowly pulls the listener into a darker space. Pulsing electronics and repetitive rhythms build a sense of ceremony, almost like being stuck in cycles you can’t break. The vocals alternate between restraint and desperation, adding to the track’s hypnotic pull. It’s a slow burner that becomes more engaging each time it’s played.
When You’re Gone stands as one of the emotional anchors of the album. Opening with bare, delicate instrumentation, it feels fragile from the first note. The dual vocal delivery amplifies the sense of shared grief, and when the song expands into heavier territory, it feels like sorrow erupting rather than aggression. This track captures loss with an honesty that lingers long after it ends. After such heaviness, The Sky Behind the Rain offers a moment of needed light. Its spoken-word quality and gentle piano create a sense of calm, like stepping outside after a long storm. The song holds a cautious optimism – not naïve, but earned through endurance. It highlights the band’s willingness to explore softer terrain without losing emotional impact. The Silence reintroduces tension with minimal electronics and hushed vocals. Creating an eerie stillness to the track, made more jarring when sudden harsh vocals break through. The song thrives on unpredictability, reflecting the feeling of waiting for something to go wrong. Subtle though it is, it grows more compelling with repeated listens.
With Eyes, the album dips into existential fear. Lo-fi beats and atmospheric textures collide with sudden bursts of metalcore intensity. The chorus is one of the album’s highlights – melodic, anguished, and memorable. The transitions are unexpected, keeping the listener slightly off balance, but that unpredictability is part of its appeal. Cure Me combines gentle vulnerability with distortion and industrial-influenced elements. Layered vocals add emotional depth, and the steady rhythm provides grounding. It’s a quieter track compared to others, but its emotional honesty makes it resonate strongly.
Wave serves as a cleansing moment. Airy and ethereal, it feels like releasing tension that has built up throughout the record. Its minimal instrumentation gives space for reflection, making it one of the album’s most soothing and quietly beautiful songs. My Paradise closes the album with a tone of calm acceptance. Soft keys and clean vocals guide the listener through a moment of introspection, embracing the idea that peace is sometimes found in imperfection rather than resolution. It’s neither triumphant nor tragic – simply honest.
Flowers is THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at their most emotionally ambitious. It may challenge listeners expecting constant heaviness, but for those open to a more cinematic, vulnerable evolution of the band, it stands as a deeply resonant and rewarding achievement.
Rating: 7/10
Flowers is out now via Solid State Records.
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