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Chiodos: Devil

Devil

(Chiodos)
Label(s): 
Genre: 
Release Date: 
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Grade:
B+
Format: 
LP
Tracks: 
13

During my "Warped Tour" days (a.k.a. the years that I cared about and followed the general Warped Tour scene), Chiodos is a name that I heard a lot. And yet I somehow managed to completely avoid listening to them. At some point, I seem to recall them mentioned in the same breath as The Mars Volta (one of my all-time favorites) and I have a vague recollection of making a stupid assumption that if they were trying to be like them that Chiodos weren't going to be a necessary part of my listening experience. After all, if you have one Mars Volta, why would you need a wannabe in the mix? Ah, ignorance is a safe haven of false security, children.

At any rate, here we are in 2014 and Devil, the fourth album from Chiodos, is my first listen to any of their music. Truth be told, if I had actually listened to them back in the day, I probably would have loved them. Based on this record alone, these guys play an incredibly proficient mix of pop punk, prog rock, and hardcore, with a dash of metal riffing thrown in for good measure. Even better, they've crafted over 50 minutes of music (13 tracks) that manage to be cohesive and varied, without getting boring or old. At various points, they brought bands like Saosin, As I Lay Dying and Four Year Strong to mind. More to their credit, they were reminiscent of those bands without being derivative. It's been a while since I've listened to this style of music, so it could be the distance talking, but Chiodos manages to make this sound their own, even after it's been around the block for a number of years.

In truth, that's probably my biggest sticking point with this album: for what it is, it's very, very well-done. It's catchy, diverse, heavy, melodic. But it's also a style of music that I've personally grown out of, at least for the time being. While I recognize the skill and talent on display, I'm just not that into it. Though while that's the case for me, that might not be the case for you. So if the bands I mentioned above are part of your playlist and Chiodos isn't, then you definitely need to rectify that here and now. This is one "Devil" you'll want to get to know better.

Jeremy Hunt
Review by Jeremy Hunt
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