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Band Name: Walls Of Jericho
Album Name: With Devils Amongst Us All
Rating: 4.5 / 5 User Rating: 4.3 / 5
Label: Trustkill Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
01. A Trigger Full Of Promises
02. I Know Hollywood And You Ain't It
03. And Hope To Die
04. Plastic
05. Try Fail Repeat
06. The Haunted
07. And The Dead Walk Again
08. Another Day, Another Idiot
09. No Saving Me
10. Welcome Home
11. With Devils Amongst Us All
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When God promises you something, you have to let nothing stand in your way to get it, even if you must bring the down the Walls of Jericho to get it. This is an extremely condensed version of the meaning behind the biblical story of Joshua and the Walls of Jericho. And an insight into the philosophy of the hardcore metal band Walls of Jericho, a band that has been mercilessly breaking down walls since it's inception in 1998. Like a wild fire, word of Walls of Jericho's unique and ferocious brand of music and live performance has spread throughout the metal community. Its reputation has earned the band spots on tours with many well-known acts including, most recently, the second stage at Ozzfest.
Walls of Jericho's eagerly awaited third full-length album 'With Devils Amongst Us All' delivers the intensity that fans expect from the band while also bringing some new tricks to the table. The band's maturity in form, style, and song writing is most evident on this release. An extremely tight rhythm section backs up singer Candace Kucsulain's unearthly roar, with songs that can almost be described as catchy, in a catch-you-and-then-beat-you-in-the-face kind of way. Deliberate, shredding, guitar hooks accent the double bass driven, rhythmic, pound of the songs, punctuated with anthem-like, melodic choruses. No heaviness is lost, only melody gained.
Since 'With Devils Amongst Us All' is such an extremely complete piece of work, it's hard to pin point the 'best' songs. However some moments definitely stand out. The first track, 'A Trigger Full of Promises', sets the tone for the entire album. Starting out with a fast, chugging intro that immediately induces head banging, the song then heads effortlessly into double bass driven verses, and an epic chorus. The song 'The Haunted' posses a demonic quality, worthy of Morbid Angel, but reminds the listener that early thrash and death metal were inspired by punk as much as metal. The song 'Plastic' displays a unique vocal style, especially during the chorus, where the lyrics 'I write these words for my own survival' are yelled in excellent hardcore punk fashion, audible yet determined. The song 'No saving me' is one of the most surprising on the album, as well as fantastic. It has the potential to be one of the biggest metal singles in the last five years. It is a ballad, and yes some die-hard metal veterans cringe at this word, but rest assured, 'No Saving Me' does not lack any of the heaviness you expect from Walls of Jericho. An almost classical intro builds up into an epic chorus, and then pounds into the truly moving and well-executed guitar solo. The listener also has the pleasure of hearing the massively multi-talented Candace Kucsulain executing intimate, beautifully sung vocals instead of her usual screaming growl. She does alternate between soulful singing and screaming at the end of the song, which results in a brilliant emotional release.
Easily one of the best albums of 2006 so far, the beauty of 'With Devils Amongst Us All' is that it perfectly displays the balance that Walls of Jericho have achieved as a band. They have developed the perfect blend for their unique style. Each song can stand on its own, while it also blends perfectly with then entire sound of the album as a whole. Each song is complex enough to keep the listener interested, but not so complex that the listener gets lost in technicalities. It is heavy enough to satisfy hardcore metal heads, but possesses enough melody to get the tunes stuck in your head. It is unique enough to be original, but still sticks to the classical rules of metal and punk. It is guaranteed that once this album is popped into your CD player it will be in heavy rotation for months to come.
Review by: Colette Claire
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