Formed in 2004 from Lisbon, Portugal, DEVIL IN ME (interviewed for IDIOTEQ HERE) have been around for some time now. Well known throughout America and Europe, they finally have appeased many of their fans who have been waiting for this newest eleven song full length release, ON THE GRIND.
They kick the record off with the track called WILL. A bit of synthesizer and guitar riffage fades into this fast-opening track with the rest of the band trailing behind. The gang vocal choruses and the breakdown further solidify this track’s heaviness. A great introduction, I must say.
Next is AWAKE. A nice little drum roll sends you into a chugfest of guitar heaviness. This song is melodic and heavy and the “Stay alive, stay awake in these streets of hate “lyrical reminders bring much dynamic to this track.
The third song, IN LOVING MEMORY is another solid track with a Circle Pit feel to it. A quick hard intro and right into the music. More solid lyrics and heavy vocals by singer Correia when he tells you “It’s better off alone than surrounded by snakes!”
The next song, STOMP, is only a 23 second song of sound effects that gives you a quick breather and then dumps you right off into the realm of this next monster track, D.L.T. Probably, the best track on this record, it also features a guest appearance from Terror’s Scott Vogel. An acronym for “Don’t Lose Track”, D.L.T. is a blistering piece of music that delivers the same Devil in Me sound with a nice splash of Terror! A great display of gang vocal choruses and guitar chuggs galore.
Because you need another breather after exposing yourself to the last track, The next song, S.C., gives you that much needed break before launching you into another heavy-hitter track called WAR. Great drumming, gritty vocals, sing along chorus and catchy riffs all day with this track.
The next track is another 40 second guitar interlude with a little TR808 drum in the background. This gets you prepared for the next tune, UNCHAINED. More gang vocals and hardcore riffs to keep things going in the right direction. Now, the next track, NEVER GIVE IN, is a solid circle pit song that jumps right at you. The “Never Give In” gang vocal and that breakdown also help take this song to the next level. Finally the last track, GLORY, wrap up this collection of songs. This slow-paced anthem really helps you feel the impact of this album’s conclusion.
Overall, this album was very impressive. I recommend anyone into hardcore/ metalcore to give this album a good listen. Euporean hardcore is here to stay, that’s for sure.
