Icepicks – Devilskin; RED

Icepicks is back! No I have no real idea why I stopped doing it, I just shifted things to reviews. However, I wanted to bring back a personal touch that really is more than a review. More a hope for not just this release, but all to come from that band.  Welcome Devilskin to the icepicks elite fold.

When it comes to the harder metal, I fully admit I can be harder to impress. It becomes all the same to me with the growling and repetitive chords that I just quickly move on from usually. From the word go, however, with Devilskin I was pulled in immediately. The new release, RED, contains 12 songs. Each carries a life of its own inside the Devilskin style.

Oh, and it’s out now. Today. April 3rd. You’re likely at home just waiting for new music – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Check out their website and you’ll see the shop there to snag this bad boy. Bad girl. Ok, just bad ass release.

Meanwhile, back at the review; don’t get me wrong. You better believe there’s “growling” found in the music. Kinda the trademark for this genre. But there’s also so much more each and every song. The guitars and percussion both carry strong progressions without becoming repetitive. You get pulled in, you start moving with the music to be sure. It’s so much more than simply banging your head. It doesn’t take much at all to let yourself go and become part of the music.

For the vocals, Jennie Skulander has the strength to counter the growl in a ‘metaolic’ fashion. Metaolic – is that even a word? the red line under it says no but for this, I’m running with it as Devilskin carries an amazing melodic metal sound.

I’m only going to pick out a few and believe me, deciding which few to talk about was not easy.  I just have never been a fan of the reviews that give an opinion on every single song. Some things you need to go and discover on your own, ya know? I’ll simply point the way, you go discover.  🙂

All Fall Down. Slows it down a bit from the 1st song. Wait, ah yea there’s those guitars, we’re in the groove and here we go! Jennie comes in as powerful as ever but we’re just getting started. Drums please AH YEA. Again again again again AH YEA. I see the rotation for this one for sure. And yes, as you listen to this song you’ll see i was in fact, review it as I was listening to it.  🙂

Eyes Red Heavy – change of pace, again. I dig these. MAN i dig these. I’ll leave it at that.

Endo. If I thought Eyes Red Heavy toned things down a bit, Endo pulls you into a “slowdown”. Maybe. Psyche. The quiet power is coming so don’t relax. Just enjoy.  The fast fingered guitars backing up the chorus blend so well with Jeannies haunting vocals. While we start off slow, we do pick it up and think we’re gonna end with power to spare. Psyche. Again.

MAN I dig these. Too.

Sweet Release. Like a moth to a flame, I gravitate to the soulful sounds and lyrical magic Sweet Release offers. Best I can tell you here is I’m going to wear out my rewind button on this one cause it just became a personal favorite.

Last song I’m going to mention is Everyone is High But Me. Mostly because the title cracks me up and times like this still haunt my personal past. I find myself relating more than I should.

In all you got everything a power metal band should be. They don’t rely on a singular style; or even 2 or 3. They carry a wide range of talents, imagination and creativity that when put into this release, RED; catapult it to the top of my personal favorites of 2020.

Bands, y’all got your work cut out for you to beat this one.

Since Icepicks is meant to focus on bands you need to keep an eye on. For that, I simply couldn’t ask for a better group to help me reintroduce this segment of Renegade Radio. Not only is Devilskin an “icepick” – but have landed a seat in our Spotlight.

Welcome to our rotation and the Renegade Spotlight, Devilskin!