Review by Maverick on March 23, 2024.

I am a die-hard fan of melodic brands of metal (melo-death, melo-black, melo-metalcore). With that said, I think Devil You Know has justified the status of metalcore as a valid genre. I've said time and time again that metalcore is a dangerous genre, because many bands do it WRONG. You have various horrific bands, like Demon Hunter and the like dancing around as if they're that great.

First, this album is filled with a balance of melodic death metal, hardcore, and some experimental moments. You will discover that there is a frenzy of amazing break-downs (oh shit - did I just praise break-downs? Well get the hell over it). The drumming is typical of metalcore, and in some places I am reminded of All That Remains which can prove to be completely disastrous, this band however makes metalcore look good - don't forget the opening thesis of what I said.

Second, the vocals in this band are none other than ex-Killswitch Engage vocalist - Howard Jones. Howard's vocals are a necessary force in the realm of heavy music, in this album his voice seduces us. The highlights of his vocals can be seen in "Seven Years Alone," where he moves in a melodic death metal tone, and at certain moments climaxing with metalcore screams, and at certain instances he does his clean vocals. Which is plain brilliant, his voice is indicative of the maturity he presents - even though it seems to make things sound alternative (like "I Am The Nothing" which in my opinion is a song that was almost boring). Nevertheless, considering the range that Howard captures, I think his vocals are praise-worthy based on the entirety of the album.

Third, the guitars are strikingly similar to All Shall Perish's "The Price of Existence" and "This Is Where It Ends" in a variety of instances, especially "A New Beginning," "Crawl From The Darkness," and "Seven Years Alone." It didn't come as a surprise to notice that All Shall Perish guitarist Francesco Artusato is playing here. However even amongst the similarities here, Devil You Know succeeds in producing an original album.

Considering the entirety of this metalcore piece, I think Devil You Know is actual evidence that metalcore is still a decent genre. If you are not a retard who thinks too much of yourself in terms of "pure metal," by all means listen to this. This is a metalcore album which will not be forgotten, and dare I say a definite challenge to the position of Killswitch Engage's "Alive And Just Breathing." Killswitch Engage, you have been dethroned.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10