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They don't make them like this anymore. Except they do! A five-star album from Dutch occult metal rockers The Devil's Blood. Probably the best live show I have ever seen. Imagine the Blue Oyster Cult with a touch of Hawkwind, fronted by Stacia! In a dive bar, the Underworld in London's Camden Town. West End Girls this ain't.
The band boast 3 guitarists live. A Strat, a Les Paul and a Flying V. The playing here is metal, subtle and extreme, with Hendrixy/Elevators flashes. Song titles such as "Rake Your Nails Across The Firmament", "Christ or Cocaine" and "The Anti-Kosmik Magick" indicate the nightmare ride ahead. You can listen to songs at:
http://www.myspace.com/thedevilsblood although it must be said that the compressed versions there do no justice to the dark majesty of the CD. Even better is their earlier release "Come, Reap" which is a 5-track EP/mini-album. Review of that one to follow.
This clock goes to XIII...and runs backwards
True seekers can find the album in standard CD, standard and deluxe vinyl and book-bound CD editions. I have the latter which is a beautiful item, although due to the design colours, the lyric texts are hard to decipher. Even reading glasses don't help! Probably best to scan the lyrics and manipulate them in a photo editor. I'm sure they will be worth reading...
A sticker on the front of my copy quotes Classic Rock magazine: "One of the great albums of the 21st Century". I couldn't agree more. Indeed, I have that magazine's website to thank for my introduction to the band. A free download of the "Come, Reap" track "The Heavens Cry Out For The Devil's Blood" had me hooked instantly.
For once, with this band, you can believe the hype.
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