Chiodos - Devil (Album Review)
Devil is the fourth studio album from Michigan rockers Chiodos. The album was released April 1st (no foolin’!), however the band streamed the entire album on Youtube March 26th, 2014. They released a different song from the album over the course of January-March, essentially leaking their entire album except for the intro “U.G. Introduction” before it streamed, due to a leak that had nothing to do with the band. There also seems to be a theme when you watch the stream in full; in each video they use clips from old movies, tv shows, news broadcasts, etc. Some of it at times feel like subliminal messaging (though, if it was in actuality you wouldn’t know it? Maybe?). Though, looking through the comments on each music video, the videos are meant to be cryptic, Chiodos is sending a message, it’s just a matter of being smart enough to decipher it (which I am not). The album itself takes its name from the bands definition of the word ‘devil’. Frontman Craig Owens put it like this, “Devil isn’t something I thought long and hard about. It is something that hit me, and hard. I asked myself if I was brave enough to stand behind such a strong, emotionally evoking word... and I knew right then, that was it. This title is not to be confused with the muscled, red horned man surrounded by fire. This is about the temptations of everyday life; the things that become regrets; the moments where you are forced to make a choice that will determine how it is that you look at yourself for the rest of your life. This album is my definition of Devil.” Even with the videos being hard to decipher, that doesn’t take away from the musical content of the album. It definitely takes you on a roller coaster, from the soft piano intro, to the more pop-sounding “Sunny Days & Hand Grenades”, to the heavy “Behvis Bullock” and finishing off with a strong almost 9 minute finale “I am Everything That’s Normal” which shows a look in to the life of Chiodos on stage and behind the scenes. Chiodos held nothing back with this album; with the return of Craig Owens and Derrick Frost, and also adding Thomas Erak after the departure of Jason Hale, fans weren’t expecting anything less. As stated in an review done by AP, Chiodos isn’t “settling for anything less than world domination”, and that is very clear with Devil.
Rating: 4/5- Where to start? Amazing album, and amazing music videos! I really like things that can make me think. Each song and video has a theme if you look hard enough, though what the big picture is, I’m not sure. Personal favorites of mine off the album are Duct Tape and Under Your Halo; each song are at polar opposites of my emotional spectrum (sex and romance. There is a huge difference). The variety on this album is fantastic and shows the wide range of talent not only in Ownes, but in Chiodos as a whole. Be sure to check out Chiodos on The Devil’s Dance Tour, also featuring Emarosa, Hands Like Houses, Our Last Night, and ‘68 Hits! For tickets go to chiodos.net.
