ALBUM REVIEW: Red – Devilskin

Marking their ten-year anniversary, New Zealand quartet DEVILSKIN have released their latest offering, Red. It comes four years on from their last record Be Like The River, and it is only their third full length studio record since forming in 2010.

The new album starts with Do You See Birds. The opening seconds feature a heavy guitar solo, with the bass and drums coming into play not long after before the tempo gets knocked up further and everything becomes much darker. The vocals of Jennie Skulander enter the fray, her growls really adding a true heavy metal atmosphere to the track. As it gets towards the chorus her vocal style becomes cleaner, showcasing her adaptability, and adds another dimension to the track.

Up next is All Fall Down. This time the intro has more of an emphasis on the bass, combining with the guitar in perfect sync, and Jennie’s vocals are much softer compared to the opener. The track is slower in comparison as well as a result, but during the breaks between each verse and chorus the energy returns and ups the speed. Where the first track had more of a heavy metal approach to it, this one gives off more of a hard rock vibe to it, which keeps you on your toes.

Each song on the record has its own distinction, the sound differing slightly compared to the last so you really don’t know what to expect as one song finishes and the other begins. One song that really stands out on the record is Same Life. This is one track that is much more heavily focused on the bass, taking forefront for the majority of the song. It is prominent throughout the intro and keeps a fast tempo going throughout the opening seconds. The vocal style is much harsher to start with, but as the song progresses it becomes softer once more, but still equally as powerful.

Another song that is a real highlight for the album is Everybody’s High But Me. It is not the bass or guitar that begin the intro though, this time it is the drums, the faint echo of the bass drum before the rest of the band comes into it. Like most of the songs on the record, the tempo is fast – not neck breakingly fast but enough to get you headbanging throughout. The vocals are clean once again, there are plenty of hard rock elements which are prominent. It does get darker towards the end of the track, again another twist that you don’t expect, and it is a great way to conclude the album.

On the whole then, Red is a fantastic showcase of DEVILSKIN and what they are all about. It’s hard to pin down an exact genre for the band as there are so many elements from different styles which feature throughout the record, but there is something for everyone. If you’re looking for something different then this is an album well worth listening to.

Rating: 8/10

Red is out now via self-release.

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