Upon listening to this release, I've noted that I actually like this one more than their follow-up 'The Harrowing' (2021). It's dark and eerie death metal as I have taken a great liking to their guitar crunch tone. The whole 39 minutes of this release is absolutely brutal death metal! The vocals are dark and grim which goes along well to the music. The album is TOO fast it's more of a grim vibe to it. The leads were sick too alongside the rhythm guitar-work. I enjoyed this immensely. The sound quality did the album good too. I can honestly say that my "B" rating for this wasn't overly generous.

The music and vocals I liked the most on this entire album, but the drums were well played out too! What I like about the guitars is that they're sick and original as far as riff-writing goes. These guys take no prisoners, just the listener! But it isn't much of a prison when you're digging what you hear on an album! I think that they really are a diverse band and that just shows on this release. Yes I do like this more than 'The Harrowing' but both are well played out. Gruesome and vile throat the music just is fantastic too! There isn't really anything that I'd change on this release. They nailed it!

The production quality is just about perfection and everything you could hear including the bass and keys. I wouldn't modify any part of this album. They hit home with one killer release. The only caveat is maybe a few things... the sound of the drums (snare and double bass) as well as some of the rhythm guitar is a bit muddled. That's why I took some points off otherwise it's GRAND. As long as they're playing slow, the riffs are easier to decipher. But the tremolo picking is a little tough to transcribe on a treble clef. But this album is one onslaught of destruction to your eardrums! They got it right on here. Just some things to work on.

I went ahead and bought this CD on eBay but it is available online. You wouldn't think of a name for a death metal band would be "Devotion", but maybe it's the illusive oxymoron. Do show support for the band by getting the album. But if you want to stick to digital, at least take a listen and hear how it sounds. I thought that it would be good from hearing 'The Harrowing' but I actually like this one a little more than their current release. It's thicker and I like the production quality more. Check it out!

Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Death8699
02/04/2022 18:54