With Roots Above And Branches Below Review

Released: May 5, 2009
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Ferret Music
Number Of Tracks: 11
The Devil Wears Prada are back with quite possibly their heaviest album yet, which is definitely showcased in a couple songs that feature a Drop-B tuning.

Sound:	8.5
Lyrics:	8
Impression:	8.2
Overall rating:	8.2
Users rating:	8.9
Comments:	91

overall: 9.3

Featured review by: lllostmotelll, on may 05, 2009

Sound: Good lord is this album heavy. Pun most certainly intended. The Devil Wears Prada are back with quite possibly their heaviest album yet, which is definitely showcased in a couple songs that feature a Drop-B tuning. That's right folks, Drop D 1.5 steps down. See: Assistant To The Regional Manager, Wapakalpyse.

The guitar work is just as good as on Plagues, if not better. The mixture of heavy power chords and octave driven melodies is a signature sound for them, and they pull it off with flying colors yet again.

Their sound has also matured as well. Aside from the crazy song titles, their music sounds like it has grown up a little more. One of the surprise tracks for me was "Louder Than Thunder", which almost sounds like a certain Underoath track off of "They're Only Chasing Safety". The only thing I didn't like was the transition into the next track, or at least how they decided to order the tracks. It felt like "Louder Than Thunder" should have been dead in the middle of the album, separating two parts. But I'm not in the band, so...

Oh, and how could I forget the drums? Two words. Double Bass. And plenty of it. Okay so six. But seriously, it's sick. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Either they bought an auto-tune device or Jeremy's clean vocals got much better in the time between albums. I choose the latter. The harmonies he pulls off in some of the tracks are unbeatable.

As for Mike's screaming, well..you either love it or you hate it. A lot of people I know who have listened to TDWP say that's what turns them off to the band. I personally feel like he gets better and better each time they release an album. He really hasn't shown any differences in style from Plagues, but he doesn't growl as much this time. It's still there, just not as much... At least I thought.

The lyrics, albeit Christian, are still pretty accessible even if you aren't Christian yourself. // 9

Impression: Comparing it to other albums is like comparing apples to oranges. This album really stood out for me and made me gain a lot of respect for a band I can honestly say I couldn't stand before. I heard a bunch of hype over some new Christian hardcore band and upon first listen, I didn't want anything to do with them. Needless to say, my opinion has changed.

Standout Tracks: "Sassafras", "Assistant To Regional Manager", "Big Wiggly Style", "Danger: Wildman", "Wapakalypse".

Check it out. If you're a fan of anything similar, I don't think you'll be disappointed. // 9

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: Thebiz, on may 07, 2009

Sound: One word of caution before this review: The Devil Wears Prada is a love or hate band. Whether you dislike the band due to the vocals, multiple breakdowns, or just the fact that many Myspace tween fangirls worship them, this album is still a solid metalcore effort, and all the musicians step up their game in melody and intensity.

On their two previous efforts, The Devil Wears Prada have mixed melodic and screaming vocals with brutal breakdowns, metalcore riffage, breakdowns, keyboard/synth atmosphere, and breakdowns... Did I mention breakdowns?

Though many of the breakdowns in this album have been tweaked, fine-tuned and laden with new heaviness, most of the utter breakneck brutal palm muting riffs of Plagues and Dear Love have been replaced with more melodic lead guitar parts, something mostly absent on their previous efforts. The clean vocals have been improved, and the leads and keyboard melodic parts have taken a larger role, such as straight keyboard bridges and synth sub-sections and various atmospheric layered riffs. The production has been improved, and the songs feel more layered.

This is by far TDWP's most accessible, and arguably best, album yet. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics of the band haven't changed much. The usual Christian metalcore lyrics have been inserted, which could be either a problem or a blessing depending on who is listening to them. Though the lyrical themes haven't changed, they have improved, as clean singer Jeremy cries for the listener to not get caught up in the "branches" of life, and instead look to the "roots" of their problems. Their Christian beliefs help the atmospheres take more meaning and significance in their compositions.

The vocals are definitely different from their previous LPs. Clean vocalist Jeremy has improved, as his voice soars over the music. Mike's screams have, arguably, deepened, and some say his voice has weakened. There definitely is a little loss in his former tone, and certain songs he takes a little too much space in, however, this could be mainly due to production and not due to his voice. I believe it is a little bit of both.

So, in short, the lyrics and vocals have improved, but not taken a different form. // 8

Impression: As stated before, The Devil Wears Prada is a love or hate band. Their style of Christian metalcore is not anything that hasn't been done before. However, this is where TDWP shines: Christian metalcore simply hasn't been this good since (fellow Christian artists) Underoath and Norma Jean's earlier days, and this album contains elements that will attract non-Christian metalcore fans as well. This album is a blatantly larger step up in every way for the band, and makes Plagues look like a practice EP. Like it or not, The Devil Wears Prada will be around for a while, as this latest effort proves. // 8

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: Toph Rulez D00d, on october 09, 2009

Sound: There are so many bands utilizing breakdowns every chance they can possibly get, and The Devil Wears Prada is just another one of those bands. Yes, but there is a difference, they know how to overdo it, without overdoing it. Right in the first 20 seconds of the opening track, Sasafrass, you're already listening to a breakdown, making you want to head bang and punch anything in sight, and it doesn't let up anytime soon. Not until track 10 anyway, Louder Than Thunder, where you get a whole song of just Jeremy singing...and wait a second...no heavy guitars or breakdowns? Yes, they wrote a song to showcase Jeremy's fantastic clean vocals, which he manages to show on just about every track as it is. This also gave the key player James an opportunity to show what he can do.

Compared to their previous release Plagues, the guitars are stronger, more melodic, more creative, the keys are more distinct, and more creative, the drums are just flat out incredible, and the vocals are astounding. Jeremy's clean voice grew significantly from their last release until now, with stronger and catchier melodies. While Mikes screams are more defined and he does an excellent job mixing up the highs and lows on this album. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: I think the lyrics are very good, for a christian band. From reading these lyrics you would have no idea they are christian, but there are christian meanings behind all of the songs. With that they are not making the music one-sided so that if you are not christian and you can still read the lyrics and they could still mean something completely different to you.

Like I said before, the clean vocals are stronger and catchier, and the screams are more defined and Mike uses the highs and lows to his advantage on this record. // 9

Impression: With this album, they are setting themselves up to be one of the bigger bands in this genre, if they haven't done so already, and showcasing all of the talent that they have. "Sasafrass", "Danger: Wildman", "Wapakalypse", and "Louder Than Thunder" are the sounds that stand out to me. // 10

overall: 3

Reviewed by: timetodantz93, on june 23, 2009

Sound: I'll start this off by saying that, this record could not have been more disappointing in my opinion. The overall sound is just a musical mess! It sounds as if Prada went into the studio without any intentions of actually writing a full length record. They were a great metalcore band who displayed a mixture concept and vision to records such as plagues and dear love and the effort alone just sent chills down your spine. It seems as though now they don't care anymore. What they don't understand is, it's not all about being the "heaviest band" in the scene. If you get caught up in being as heavy and raw as you can, the music is gonna turn out terrible, at least for a band that has a clean vocalist and keys. They are a Metal-core band and always will be. I saw this coming when they went to Ferret, honestly.

I think the main reason why I don't like this record is because, while the music alone is amazing, it is so poorly put together that nothing fits and therefore sounds sloppy. Mike's new vocal style just adds to the sloppy effect.

Now this doesn't apply to all songs in general, Louder Than Thunder is very well put together and is just epic. That's the best way I can describe it. Dez Moines is pretty well thought out also. // 3

Lyrics and Singing: The Lyrics are arguably the best part about this record. Prada somewhat maintained that ability throughout their dramatic decline with this latest release. The lyrics to Plagues of course, blow this out of the water but then again the whole record completely blows it out of the water as well.

One of the big things that I always loved about Prada was that they had a concept. The artwork, lyrics, and everything seemed to jump out at you and tell the story we all know from Exodus, in a totally new and unique perspective and view. This record did not do that at all. There is no concept and the artwork is just pathetic.

Lyric wise, this record is pretty solid. But Let's talk about vocals. Mike now sounds like he is yelling at the top of his lungs as loud and obnoxiously as he possibly can. He has lost the ability to do the high shrieks I always anticipated in Plagues. Vocally, Mike sounds like a train wreck. He used to bring a clear, crisp and powerful tone to the record instead of this Raw, annoying, yell he produces now. However, I will say one thing, his lows and growls have increased dramatically. // 4

Impression: Overall this record was a disappointment. Very Sloppy. It's definitely not generic, but it still is a very poor record. The good things about this album is that Jeremy's vocals have soared, Mike's lows are better, the music has definitely matured, and Daniel's kit sounds even more amazing and the fact that he has clearly become a better drummer.

The things I don't like about this album is First of all, the lack of concept and emotion. Second, Mike's new vocal technique, The way the music is so poorly arranged, The lyrics aren't as epic and impressive, oh and the names of their songs haha Ben has a kid? Are you serious?

If it were lost or stolen, I would probably go buy The Word Alive's new EP instead. Check it. // 2

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: grahamrocks917, on october 26, 2009

Sound: Ok, The Devil Wears Prada is a great, unique band that has influenced a lot of bands now, and they came out with their 3rd album, With Roots Above And Branches Below a while ago. In an interview with Jeremy Depoyster (Rhythm guitarist, Clean Vox), the band member stated that the band really tried getting away from the "screamo" title, and going to the "metal" scene. The album definately sounds like some of their past work, but so much stuff changed as well.

Mike Hranica's (Lead vox, screaming) scream really changed. If you listen to some of his Plagues songs, and then to a song like Big Wiggly Style off of his new album, you can totally tell the difference. One of my friends told me his new scream was called a "power fry". Not sure if that's true or not but it is definately different. I really like it though because it sounds like his putting his all into it.

Also something that changed. Jeremy Depoyster's role in the band. He is pretty much the frontman now. The song "Louder than Thunder", is just him singing, and it is a greatttt song. They also put more spots for Jeremy to sing in. Like Hranica, it also sounds like he's putting all he's got into his singing. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Most people can't understand the lyrics in The Devil Wears Prada's songs because they always used to chop up the lyrics to fit the song. This isn't a bad thing, but in this album, they didn't do it as much as they used to. Ex. Hey John, What's Your Name Again vs. Dez Moines.

If you ever did look up the lyrics to any Devil Wears Prada song, you would have been amazed at how good their lyricism is. With Roots Above and Branches Below is no exception. Every single song means something to them, and every song they write is so deep and amazing. You have to really think about them to fully understand them. Look up the songs Assistant to the Regional Manager, Dez Moines, Big Wiggly Style, or Wapakalypse, and you'll see what I mean.

Although Mike Hranica really changed his screaming style, it fits the songs really well. In some songs he even does a high scream and overdubs it with a low scream to make it sound so sick.

And for the last part, I don't even need to type this, but Jeremy Depoyster's voice is crazy amazing on this album. Period. // 10

Impression: This album is great, it is probably one of the best albums released in 2009. They have a couple really heavy drop b songs that are different from their normal stuff that adds to the awesomeness. The most impressive songs off this album are: Assistant to the Regional Manager, Dez Moines, Big Wiggly Style, Danger: Wildman, Wapakalypse, and Louder than Thunder.

I really love Mike's new scream, and how they added more clean vocal parts. The drumming is also fantastic in this song like every TDWP album! There's really nothing to hate about this album. Buy this, this is the best Devil Wears Prada album out! // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: brandnewjames, on june 17, 2009

Sound: Ah yes, The Devil Wears Prada. Yet another typical metal band over consumed with breakdowns and auto-tuned singing, right? Well yes, this album is filled with heavy breakdowns and a fair share of high pitched melodic singing that will get you movin' and groovin'. However, TDWP has managed to do it bigger and better than most of there peers on there new album, With Roots Above And Branches Below. The first track on this album, amusingly titled Sassafras, comes at you like a punch in the gut and the rest of the album doesn't get any lighter. Heavy, crunchy guitars and insane drumming make you wanna crank this album up to 11 and head bang all day long. Each song is a constant assault on your ear drums. Mikes screaming makes you wanna bang your fists and jeremies singing makes you wish you never hit puberty so your voice could go that high. Easily the most impressive part of this album is Daniels drumming. Its some of the best I have ever heard and if he does not get voted as drummer of the year somewhere than the music world is even dumber than I thought. These guys really showed there skills as musicians on this disc. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: As most of us know The Devil Wears Prada is a christian band. Knowing this you would expect to hear the words "jesus" and "god" thrown around in just about every song. Well by just listening to this album you wouldn't even know they were religious. To me that is always a good thing. I don't want to listen to music that I feel is shoving there beliefs down my throat song after song and I'm assuming almost everyone will agree with me. After all that's what gospel is reserved for. Anyway, Mikes scream hasn't really changed much since the last couple albums which, in my opinion, is a good thing. Jeremy's singing sounds higher and better than ever and the bands chorus' are catchy and melodic. You'll find yourself singing every word from the beginning to the end. // 8

Impression: With Roots Above And Branches Below is easily The Devil Wears Prada's best album yet. With this album TDWP have been able to seperate themselves from there peers and push them to the forefront of there genre. "Sassafras", "Assistant to the general manager", and "Ben has a kid" are the tracks that stand out off this album, but each song is amazing and you'll love it from beginning to end. // 10

Comments

[Bounzze]

The first time I heart it it totally suprised me, didn't expect it to be that good! Now, a few days later, I still stand by that. Although it's heavier that plagues I find it more accessible.

[xxrobbiechaosxx]

You're so right about the lack of growls.
I told 2 of my friends about it, and they said "Dude, there's more."

There really wasn't. More lows!

[larrytheguitar]

really good.

[ismellfunny13]

kinda generic but i like it

[Musicus77]

love what im hearing so far, the clean vocal parts are amazing

[tancanada]

Sooo much better than Plagues, IMO. The Drop-B songs are insane.

[almosthero17]

They have changed so much since "hey john, whats your name again"

but this album much better than plagues

[zeroordie6868]

Jeremy's vocals are so amazing now.

Mike's lows are beginning to weaken but he still is so ****ing heavy!

[jetfuel495]

I could never get into this band. Everything that the reviewer states as being their signature touches I've always found as boring and generic. For a time I honestly thought that this was band that only got by due to the whole Christian factor.

But, seeing as how this is "their heaviest album yet" and that they've apparently matured so much, I'll give them another shot.

[Brattarocks]

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...

[Shredder Guitar]

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...

you don't need a badass name to make badass music. STFU or GTFO.

[jetfuel495]

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...

Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

[ConnorOnFire]

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

[UberElixir]

I'm really enjoying this album so far.
Love the artwork.

[got_trivium?]

ConnorOnFire wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

theres an interview on headbangers blog where they say its from the book. care to try again?

This album absolutely amazing. Ben Has A Kid has the filthiest breakdown I've heard in a long time.

[Fabrizet]

This cd is wicked, I was blown away when I heard some of these songs.

[ZakkRox90]

amazing album

[RoxyDub]

Why are you idiots arguing about the name? it's the music thats important surely...

This album is heavy as ****. And excellent.

[hammerhead_500]

i had'nt heard of this band before
but the moment i listened to this album i was hooked
i get a slight as i lay dying feel from it

[ratracekid111]

got_trivium? wrote:

ConnorOnFire wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

theres an interview on headbangers blog where they say its from the book. care to try again?

This album absolutely amazing. Ben Has A Kid has the filthiest breakdown I've heard in a long time.

I heard they named it that because they thought it related with the way the devil( the real one) has the power to deceive us. That aside, this is a fine record, much heavier than the previous two. They did much better with drop B than i thought they would

[Pretty_Much]

Man that guys scream is freakin' annoying.

[ongbakkneedrop]

amazing album, drum work is **** solid. way better then plagues. and who care where the name came from. there music says it all there and amazing band

[Co&Ca11]

they are kinda generic but not bad, i might check this out

[Conor360]

generic christian metalcore

[Zach Dunn]

i heard this a few days ago (been raping it on my ipod for a week) its great...i love the clean vocals too...fecking epic

[Bjorney]

like plagues just done better in every aspect

[Lt.DanHasLegs]

as for the name, they talk about it in the recent AP. its based off the book, one of the guys' mom had it on tape and they just thought it sounded cool. The screamer, who was not original, hates it but thinks its better than what they originally thought about naming it, five fish and a fish.

[aar24]

Dude the lead guitar sounds awesome, a lot more actual leads instead of octaves. The production quality is ridiculous too, but it's probably setting the standard too high for Jeremy live.

[Faux~Affliction]

I dunno, I don't find that this album sounds heavier.
There seems to be more over-the-top cleans (albeit really good singing) and the screams are definitely alot less intense.
It's also quite a bit more synthy, which I find sort of takes away from the heaviness, but at the same time is what gives this album a characteristic that intrigues me.
Overall it's pretty good,
they didn't change their music to total sell-outty poppy stuff, so I'm happy.

[The Spoon]

this album is a crap load better than the "music" on plagues and dear love.

Mike's scream definately got more retarded, but its still a decent album. 8/10 for me

[LP4EVR]

i love this band and album 769578269563495783465789346578923/10

[YourMessiah666]

hmm thats weird i heard a couple songs on their myspace and thought it wasnt as good as dear love. from the tunes i heard it was too much singing from the guitarist and not enough screaming. but thanks i'll probly buy this :]

[Gregray88]

Not a fan of the band, but I like that they named a song after a quote from The Office

[Karmekarten]

Gregray88 wrote:

Not a fan of the band, but I like that they named a song after a quote from The Office

Yeah same here.. too mainstream.. not original.. the guitar work Sucked big time on their other albums( its just fast palm muting the low C..)but i'll give this album a shot.. assisstant to the regional manager... good idea haha

[romencer17]

how can you say something that has been done a million times is this good?

[suggy88]

TDWP is just simply annoying. i don't understand how people are able to listen to them. I know its all opinion, but its just so generic and the vocals are really bad.

[squallerrleon]

How they can disguise 5 songs as one song I'll never figure out. And the vocals. It's a matter 'does this count as vocals, cuz it sure aint singing'. Christian lyrics? what part of the Bible goes "rargh blah aaahhhhh must be difficult ooooouuruuuhhhhh"? If you edit the song to just the guitar/bass, it's the most boring crap ever. And take the parts as a whole, doesn't get better.

Fix those Side(ways)burns on the top of your head.

[Novikka65]

Lt.DanHasLegs wrote:

as for the name, they talk about it in the recent AP. its based off the book, one of the guys' mom had it on tape and they just thought it sounded cool. The screamer, who was not original, hates it but thinks its better than what they originally thought about naming it, five fish and a fish.

where the hell did you here that from?
yes they did get it from the book, but they got it because the believe in an anti-materialistic mind-set.
But what do you mean their screamer isn't original? Not original as in his musicianship isn't original or that he isn't an original member? cause he is an original member...

It seems that Devil is just one of those bands you either love or hate, I find them one of todays better metalcore bands, cause as much as metalcore is a very repetitive genre, there are still plenty of more repetitive bands that seem to use the same riff over and over on entire albums...

[ASStrostiffy666]

The name comes from the fact that they're anti-materialisic so the devil, which is evil, and prada, which I'm guessing is expensive lol so it shows that it's evil or something like that haha

but its a good album IMO
and they're a great band live(:

[Spoony_Bard]

These guys are good, but I just can't listen to them. They get going on something cool and immediately kill it with the cheesiest, groan-inducing breakdowns ever. I sat them live and they put on a good show though.

Oh, and the pretentious song titles really turn me off to a band.

[huevos]

squallerrleon wrote:

How they can disguise 5 songs as one song I'll never figure out. And the vocals. It's a matter 'does this count as vocals, cuz it sure aint singing'. Christian lyrics? what part of the Bible goes "rargh blah aaahhhhh must be difficult ooooouuruuuhhhhh"? If you edit the song to just the guitar/bass, it's the most boring crap ever. And take the parts as a whole, doesn't get better.

Fix those Side(ways)burns on the top of your head.

The best parts.

[xcrunner1]

I disagree with the reviewer, I like "Louder than Thunder" where it is.

It reminds me of the way KSE used "Without a Name" a the soft track on AOJB to seperate the album closer "Rise Inside" from the parade of other songs. It gets you in a more introspective mood for the last song.

[Shinsen88]

I definitely need to pick this up.

[erikpatrick]

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

yea ...they came after the book yea but thats not what it means to them. as far as i remember them saying they didnt even know about the book

[erikpatrick]

got_trivium? wrote:

ConnorOnFire wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

theres an interview on headbangers blog where they say its from the book. care to try again?

This album absolutely amazing. Ben Has A Kid has the filthiest breakdown I've heard in a long time.

you think again...watch the dvd from plagues.

[erikpatrick]

Co&Ca11 wrote:

they are kinda generic but not bad, i might check this out

only generic because other bands sound like them...they dont sound like other bands...and because this album was produced very well so it sounds so pure

[erikpatrick]

squallerrleon wrote:

How they can disguise 5 songs as one song I'll never figure out. And the vocals. It's a matter 'does this count as vocals, cuz it sure aint singing'. Christian lyrics? what part of the Bible goes "rargh blah aaahhhhh must be difficult ooooouuruuuhhhhh"? If you edit the song to just the guitar/bass, it's the most boring crap ever. And take the parts as a whole, doesn't get better.

Fix those Side(ways)burns on the top of your head.

were you trying to say 1 song into 5? moron. where in their lyrics say "rargh blah aaahhhhh must be difficult ooooouuruuuhhhhh"? where in the bible does it say "only people that sound like pussies can sing about god"? and the shit isnt boring man, youre just here to knock shit.

[lllostmotelll]

Don't you guys know not to feed the trolls? They go away if you ignore them. I never understood why someone would go to a review of an album from a band they don't even like, but it still happens.

Whatever though.

[BassB3ast123]

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...

**** you

[Macabre_Turtle]

Karmekarten wrote:

Gregray88 wrote:

Not a fan of the band, but I like that they named a song after a quote from The Office

Yeah same here.. too mainstream.. not original.. the guitar work Sucked big time on their other albums( its just fast palm muting the low C..)but i'll give this album a shot.. assisstant to the regional manager... good idea haha

They play in drop d...

[got_trivium?]

erikpatrick wrote:

got_trivium? wrote:

ConnorOnFire wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

theres an interview on headbangers blog where they say its from the book. care to try again?

This album absolutely amazing. Ben Has A Kid has the filthiest breakdown I've heard in a long time.

you think again...watch the dvd from plagues.

well the interview on HBB is way more recent and he clearly talks about how the name came after the book came out because the members liked what the name portrayed.

[Razzak Rahman]

good band, good album

[SKYS100]

all of you griping about mikes lows need to listen to lord xenu near the end (and that isnt the only part) where mike does high on lows and its sickkkk. i think his lows are just as good he obviously wanted to push himself vocally.
best album ive bought in a long time everyone needs to check it out.

[xclue122lessx]

got_trivium? wrote:

ConnorOnFire wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

theres an interview on headbangers blog where they say its from the book. care to try again?

This album absolutely amazing. Ben Has A Kid has the filthiest breakdown I've heard in a long time.

got_trivium? wrote:

erikpatrick wrote:

got_trivium? wrote:

ConnorOnFire wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

Brattarocks wrote:

"The Devil Wears Prada" ...wow what a hardcore name...Came from the book, in case you're wondering.

According to the band, it didn't.

theres an interview on headbangers blog where they say its from the book. care to try again?

This album absolutely amazing. Ben Has A Kid has the filthiest breakdown I've heard in a long time.

you think again...watch the dvd from plagues.

well the interview on HBB is way more recent and he clearly talks about how the name came after the book came out because the members liked what the name portrayed.

Okay- you guys are close. haha. It IS from the book. However, they didnt mean it the same way. The band meant it as a message. That you shouldnt hold on to earthly possessions and brand names (like "Prada") and you shouldnt base youre life around them because God has much better things for you in heaven. Therefore- "The Devil Wears Prada".

I love them. And this new album is crazy sick. it is so brutal. Best songs are tracks 3-6.

[Hardcore704]

love the new album its pretty heavy. i hate the screams they are very repetitive but the clean singing blows my mind. I saw them about a month ago and it was amazing they played 2 songs from the new album so i preordered it and i love it. great band and they should keep doing work

[ver555]

I can't seem to grasp how so many people think the screams are generic. There are only so many ways he can manipulate his voice (high, middle, low). How do you expect him to keep coming up with unique tones for eleven 4-5 minute songs? I will agree that the screams are maybe a little bit too high pitched at times, but aside from that i think they are fine. My biggest complaint with the album would be the amount of repetitive breakdowns. These should be shortened. They create a lull in the song and if he wasn't screaming the whole time they could put you asleep. I realize breakdowns are a staple in this genre but in my honest opinion extended repetitive breakdowns can make songs boring. This band has great instrumentals but the songs could be shortened and tightened up.

[dinley]

big wiggly style has got a killer opening! XD

[Fender700]

This is quite a different effort for them. At first i didnt like it but it is growing on me. For one, the production quality has greatly improved. As for the new drop B tuning...ughhh typical hardcore/metalcore scene band. Taking the easy way out by tuning down the guitars so the breakdowns sound heavier. sooooo predictable. and can i PLEASE adress the vocals??? dear god...the singing is way better, although when i saw them live, he could barely sing his parts right. Mike's screaming is so horrible though, and i found myself telling the CD to shut up! His high-pitched "new" style is absolute murder on the ears. As a whole, the musical aspects of the album shine through,every instrument has improved with the exception of screams. And i wouldnt mind seeing these guys again and hearing the new stuff live.

[DOUBLE11DOWN]

I agree that Mike's screams seem to not vary as much and have gotten weaker. Also the structure of most of the songs seem to be more generic and too predictable. Thats what made Plagues epic, every song was unique in its build. Too many verse - chorus - verse on this album. Still a solid effort but heavier doesn't mean better. 7.5/10. TDWP is still super nasty live tho, I'm amped to see'em again.

[smokeyalater]

this is the best album ive got this year or heard , its a shame they suck live

[Fender700]

And for the sake of debate, does anybody else feel like "Lord Xenu" was a really crappy way to end the album? personally i think they should've ended with a better song.

[ASStrostiffy666]

smokeyalater wrote:

this is the best album ive got this year or heard , its a shame they suck live

No they're not. They're amazing live IMO.
Albums not great, but it's not bad either :]

[Superperfex]

Fender700 wrote:

And for the sake of debate, does anybody else feel like "Lord Xenu" was a really crappy way to end the album? personally i think they should've ended with a better song.

To be honest, I never really got enough enthusiasm to make it through that track. BUT WHO CARES, teh rest of the album more than makes up for it. =]

[kaizerkhan13]

i love this album.

[>>Eric<<]

They could have done better.
I like some of the breakdowns in this album, but it didn't surpass Plagues in my opinion.

[johnny141093]

xcrunner1 wrote:

I disagree with the reviewer, I like "Louder than Thunder" where it is.

It reminds me of the way KSE used "Without a Name" a the soft track on AOJB to seperate the album closer "Rise Inside" from the parade of other songs. It gets you in a more introspective mood for the last song.

Agreed, KSE did well, and the principle is good, I wouldn't have used Lord Xenu as the closer, not in that tuning anyway. They play the penultimate 3 tracks in B minor (Wapakalypse, Gimme Half & Louder Than Thunder) then revert to D minor (i.e. Drop D tuning) for the closer. The problem is, they start it on a Bb5 chord (8th fret power chord) so it actually sounds vile after the beauty of Louder Than Thunder. They could have done a better job, even if it was just them playing Lord Xenu in Drop B. The rest of the album is completely epic, and the songs are fantastic, don't get me wrong, I love it, but that is the only issue I have.

[mtllica]

Big Wiggly Style!

[mast4r cheif]

The riff at about 0:40 in assistant to the regional manager is one of the most awesome ive ever heard.
I thought the album was crap at first but its a lot more accesible than plagues. and catchier than dear love.

[Untamed_Horizon]

Sick sick sick... that's all i can say. Best -core album of the year, which goes the same way for each of their past albums. And just cuz they play with only 40% of their stuff out of metal roots doesn't make them posers, cuz it's their* band, and they have their* own sound. And tis have some pretty brutal and catchy riffs that you can't refuse to listen to.

[Untamed_Horizon]

Oh yeah here's a comment on their production quality: Freakin' awesome, everything is laid out perfectly in each of the songs. The guitars can be heard cleanly even with the heavy distortion. Almost every note in the palms' and tremolo picking can be heard, it's freakin' glorious. And the overall album itself: epic/epic/epic.

[sexclamation]

They got the name and the principle from the book. And they are not generic. They are the only band that sounds like them. The vocals do get a little bit overbearing but the clean vocals are freaking beautiful. The guitar work and production of this album greatly improved and the drums are fantastic. Just because Mike's screaming is not super amazing doesn't mean there isn't still music behind him to listen to and appreciate. So all those people who bash this band because of vocals are ****ing morons and need to get there head out of the gutter. This was definitely the best album they have come out with yet.

['woot''woot']

I watched the dvd that came with the special edition of the cd, and Jeremy CAN hit those notes, but not for hours on end. But most people cannot sustain a perfect, almost out of range vocal performance through a whole set. But i still appreciated that he did hit those notes during recording.

[ripsaw]

personally jeremy needs to shut the **** up and let mike do his thing. His vocals were 10 times better on plagues where he actually hits his HIs and Growls and threw some squeals in, it sounds just like its all being forced. They also need to get back to their own style of no structure almost opera written songs and stop the generic bury your dead riffs.

[MAXPAYNE4664]

Very awesome album. Will be seeing them live at Warped Tour this year. Saw them last year at Warped and they were one of the few bands that stood out. Their stage presence is amazing.

[-tempest-]

i actually like this album. i found that plagues got boring after a bit. its good to hear the keys more. most bands with key either have em for show or use to much. here i found there was a decent balance. the key could have been used more imo. the riffs were hit hit or miss for me along with some of the screaming. 7.5/10 for me

[-tempest-]

keys* i some how missed the s both times lol

[Kyle|777|]

it's a good album and a great job by the whole band. i liked mike's screaming better on the first 2 albums though. on this one he sounds like he's forcing it too high. also sometimes it sounds like they try to be something they're not. like they try to be as heavy a band as possible, but if they'd just stick to what they do best, i really think more people would like em. and yeah like some people said the songs didn't really flow, there wasn't much transition, it was kinda like a start and stop throught the whole album. but nonetheless they're still amazing no doubt.

[defenderobanana]

I like this album, you can really see each individual growing musically, and everyone as a band.

[AILDRulezD00d]

This album is really good. Generic (deny it all you want...) but awesome. I like how they incorporated the synth more... I dont like wapakalypse and danger wildman too much because the songs dont seem to flow... it might just be me though. GIMME HALF=BEST TRACK. KILLER BREAKDOWN

[gypsyjew22]

Best record ever. Best Band live enough said...oh and there are plenty of lows on the album, there are more on this album then plagues ahhhh so amazing, brilliant and the ultimate gupsycore

[ty0515]

I saw them live at warped tour, and heard Danger: Wildman live and it is just as good as the album if not better, his voice is very little effected by recording editing. By far my most favorite album.

[ALBINOxASSASSIN]

this album is BY FAR the best by this band...

one word.. AMAZING!

[mike_biro727]

Gregray88 wrote:

Not a fan of the band, but I like that they named a song after a quote from The Office

THe Office is the best show ever the name of that song got me to listen to this album

[danrawkz]

Kills plagues, pretty good album

[-tempest-]

its grown on me after leaving it alone for a while. the syth in one song ruins that track, i have no gripes past that. solid effort

[andeen10]

My first experince with this band was with Plauges... im sorry to anyone who loves Plagues... and IMO I think it is really bad, I just don't like it.
When I saw they came out with a new album I thought WTH I'll give them another chance... and I was blown away. They truely improved (vocally mainly). I now say I am a Fan of TDWP
Two of my favorite songs off this album are
Ben Has A Kid
Assistant To The Regional Manager

[Campbell22]

Seriously I listened to all the album in order, Dear love, Plague and this one, and it's my favorite, it kicks asses !

[ForeverInUtero]

WTF? why does everyone like WRAABB? its a PIECE OF CRAP compared to Plagues and Dear Love. Plagues was ART, and this is just a bunch of songs thrown together. the thing that killed it for me were Mike's vocals. His vocals made me fall in love with TDWP! and now it sounds like he's just gonna yell all the time like Oli from BMTH! WTF?! where are the amazing high sheiks that scare the shit out of you? thats what made me falll in love with TDWP, and now its gone.

[evro123]

when i first got this album i didn't really like it because mike's screaming seemed way different than their old stuff, the album over all didn't seem as hardcore as their old stuff either so i was disappointed...now i regret being disappointed becaused i realized how great of an album this is

[evro123]

i still like plagues and dear love:a beautiful discord better though :P

[Alpha_Wolf]

Karmekarten wrote:
Yeah same here.. too mainstream.. not original.. the guitar work Sucked big time on their other albums( its just fast palm muting the low C..)but i'll give this album a shot.. assisstant to the regional manager... good idea haha

Except TDWP doesn't play in Drop C, or have any songs in Drop C.