It was in 2012 that Los Angeles, California based Metalcore supergroup by the name of the Devil You Know was born. Featuring John Sanky (Devolved) on drums and Francesco Artusato (All Shall Perish) on guitar, their first two demos attracted the attention of former Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones, and the following year the three-piece landed a recording deal with Nuclear Blast Records. After their demo “Shut It Down,” which was produced by Logan Mader (ex-Machine Head), picked up some momentum on the web, Devil You Know underwent expansion once more when Ryan Wombacher (Bleeding Through) and Roy Lev-Ari (Hills of Atrocity) joined the band on bass guitar and guitar respectively.
With the lineup set, the band was ready to write a full-length album, but it was not until April of 2014 that The Beauty of Destruction was unleashed. Immediately making an impact, the album went to #50 on the Billboard 200, and spawned videos for “It’s Over” and “As Bright as the Darkness.” After some more exposure on big tours, Devil You Know returned to the studio in the Summer of 2015 to record their second full-length album. After a couple of years of getting the wheels in motion, this time, the process was much quicker, and on November 6, 2015, Devil You Know released They Bleed Red, once more via Nuclear Blast Records, with production duties being handled by the notable Josh Wilbur, whose resume includes both Megadeth and Lamb of God.
They Bleed Red is eleven tracks of fast, furious, raw emotion right from the outset with “Consumed the Damned,” striking as an immediate Thrash piece. The song grabs listeners’ throats and does not let go until the last note is played. By contrast, “The Way We Die” has a melodic chorus with a Thrash melody as the plucky guitars drive, then, break into ominous yet still melodic tunes while the drums beat double and triple time. A rich guitar brings in the slower “Your Last Breath,” which turns into a plucky beat-keeper. Then, the hard drums pound in as Jones’ deep voice/growl comes in bellowing the words, “This isn’t the end for your last breath.” Midway, the plucky riff turns into a soaring solo that follows to the finish. “Stay of Execution” has a machine gun-esque intro with the guitars and accompanying drums coming out blazing. The piece settles into a fist-pumping track with the lyrics, “One choice/one life/I’m running out of time.”
Moving on, “Break the Ties” has a more conventional Metal vibe while still maintaining the dual singing/growling. Between verses, the drums turn Thrash, then, settle into mid-tempo while the guitars take on a driving melody that breaks into piercing solos as Jones sings about devotion, “Forever bound/breaks the ties.” The bass riffs through the opening of “Shattered Silence” followed by the hyper drums to excite listeners.
Breaking from the flow of the rest of the album is the mellow “Let the Pain Take Hold,” a richly sung, richly played piece as the guitars soar and hold a note closer to the end as well as the drums linger in the air. Jones’ vocals take on a Gothic power ballad inflection as he sings about letting feelings be felt regardless of how bad they are, “Give up the fight.“ A melodic riff starts “Master of None” that turns into a repetitious, hypnotic riff with drums in this piece of being consumed by someone or a deity so much so that the self is lost.
Again, slowing down the tempo a bit is “Searching for the Sun,” a Gothic-like-sung track with underlying growls, beautiful guitar work, and of course, the requisite driving drums beating double time in a message of the ongoing search to find peace. Speeding into “How the End Shall Be,” the track thunders like the apocalypse is at hand with growling and a quick succession of changing guitar riffs while Jones growls, “You are the judge of nothing.” Finally, They Bleed Red ends with “Broken by the Cold,” an ethereal, Gothic-sung, Speed Metal, anthemic-vibed piece that ends with the same ethereal feel as the track began.
Devil You Know’s use of melody and vocals sets up a path listeners can follow, feel, and relate to…the sign of a top-notch band in tune with their fans. There is no doubt they have grown as a band and the songs are even stronger then The Beauty of Destruction. The band will have some dates the latter part of January to support They Bleed Red, starting in Australia. CrypticRock gives They Bleed Red 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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