Album Review: Chiodos - 'Devil'

It is with the esteemed, grand and delightful pleasure that we can safely say Chiodos are back. But where did they go? It's not that a Chiodos "went" anywhere; it's more the fact that Chiodos are back to the band that they truly represent. Chiodos are a band that has personality oozing from every bar and every line; they have a certain kind of swagger and feel to their art that no other band could ever hope to replicate. And all that meaning; that power behind the music and that emotion seemed lost on their third LP 'Illuminaudio'. It felt stale compared to their previous releases, which all left soulful and staggeringly-beautiful watermarks and stains on the readers hearts they never wished to remove. A polarising but apt description. That is why we say they are "back". Because you see reader, Chiodos' latest effort, 'Devil' is not ust everything we've ever expected or wanted from them; it is everything we never dreamed they could achieve.

'Devil' reaches a new height for the post-hardcore genre. It has an eerie but awe-inspiring sense of power to it that drips in melodies, gut-wrenching screams and low-end magic. The record is squeaky clean in production and mix that you would assume it loses its touch; not so. It only serves to accentuate the aforementioned power that the band brings to the songs in such a way that you can get lost and caught up in the assault of sound that travels from your ears, to the back of your neck, down your spine and to your heart.  

'Devil' is however a very mixed bag of shiny and sparkling gems. There's the atmospherically and sonically "big" '3 AM' that soars along as the heart-confessing rock accompaniment to the other soothing and melodic songs that then serve to contrast the blistering and roaring hardcore tracks that get belted out more often then not. 'Under Your Halo' and 'Expensive Conversations in Cheap Motels' are the perfect examples of this. The former, being of a more ambient and down-tuned nature and the latter being a screeching and thundering post-hardcore anthem. Both create an enjoyable and welcome stark contrast.

What makes 'Devil' so appealing however is the feeling that lies at the very edge of the songs. It sits on the ledge of the sound walls and stays there, only showing its complexion to make each and every song what they are. The best way to describe this feeling is in the most romantic sense. It's a kind of fantastical theatric that makes all these great songs into wonderful ones. Whether it be through a string section, an eccentric and almost ill-placed synth or a piano accompaniment, it's there to add a new layer and dimension to the tracks that give them new life and energy every listen.

Chiodos have crafted a record that not only has as many layers as a snake sheds in its livelihood, but is also as comfortable and homey as it needs to be to please the older fans. 'Devil' shows the different sides to the band all in the space of forty-five minutes. It swirls in its own atmosphere of melody, rock influence and post-hardcore energy that we know and love. With the background theatrical power to it, 'Devil' stands out as a bold, beautiful and breath-taking piece of art, just waiting to be admired.

1. U.G. Introduction

2. We're Talking About Practice

3. Ole Fishlips Is Dead Now

4. Why The Munsters Matter

5. 3 AM

6. Sunny Days & Hand Grenades

7. Duct Tape

8. Behvis Bullock

9. Looking For A Tornado

10. Expensive Conversations In Cheap Motels

11. I'm Awkward & Unusual

12. Under Your Halo

13. I Am Everything That's Normal