DEVANGELIC: “ERSETU”

 

(Here’s Vonlughlio’s review of the new album by the Italian death metal band Devangelic. It will be released by Willowtip Records and features cover art by Nick Keller)

This time around I feel fortunate to write about Devangelic’s third opus, Ersetu, to be released via Willowtip this upcoming May 15th.  They are one of my favorite BDM bands from Italy, and this release is their most mature work to date.

This band was formed back in 2012 by Mario Di Giambattista and Paolo Chiti, and they released a two-song promo that just blew everyone away and made me a fan on the spot.  Two years passed and they grace us with their debut album Resurrection Denie”, that is one of my top 10 debut albums from any BDM bands out there. The cover, music, and lyrics represented the full scope of this project with songs that were raw, fast, and in-your-face — 30 minutes of pure madness.

 

 

After the band experienced some lineup changes they released an EP in 2015 (Deprecating the Scriptures) and a promo in 2016 (Abominated Impurity of the Oppressed) that introduced their new drummer and sound for their upcoming 2017 sophomore effort Phelgethon. That album that showcase a more organic sound in the production and was filled with amazing riffs (as always), and vocals that are simply among the best in the BDM scene.  They were able to draw upon influences from other bands but to still make their new sound their own.

Mr. Giambattista continued to prove that he is a gifted riff-master who creates uniqueness, and the guitar is always one of the best aspects of Devangelic.  This time around they brought Marco Coghe on as drummer, who provided a new dynamic and freshness to the group.  This 40-minute plus effort expanded their structures and saw their musical capabilities expand even more.  This release was one of my favorites of 2017.

Back when I recently moved to the USA from the Dominican Republic I had the opportunity to hang out with Mr. Giambattista and we talked about the future of the band. He mentioned that they would expand and change for the upcoming recording. That was intriguing, but I had all confidence that whatever change or expansion of their sound they might create would be most welcome.

So here we are in 2020. When Willowtip announced the album with the cover and the disclosure of a new song I was blown away by how the band had stepped up their game.  The powerful sound of the instruments, all of which shown through the ferocity, and the always amazing vocals from Mr. Chiti made me excited beyond belief.  When I received the promo for Ersetu I stopped everything I was doing and went into listening. The opening track “Swarm of Serpents” proved to be a prefect set-up for the 30 minutes of themed brutality the listener experiences on the new record.

On that first track Mr. Chiti goes nuts with the vocals. It’s the most different thing he has done in all of the band’s releases, and you can hear that in the other songs with his lovely low gutturals.  The guitars are precise with cutting riffs and solos that are perfectly placed in the songs to add more intensity to the sheer brutality you are experiencing. The bass is an unsung hero, creating great contrasts with the guitars, and fortunately can be heard quite clearly.  Perhaps needless to say, the drumming is spectacular, a driving force with the restless blast-beats that are natural and have a vibrant life of their own while experly complementing the other instruments within the movements of the songs.

Overall, this is one is a mandatory release for every BDM fan. These guys know their craft supremely well and have taken the time to create something special in their music that will pass the test of time.  I hope their fan base continues to grow and that they achieve even more recognition worldwide, beyond the fans of BDM.  In the meantime, I will happily tag along for the ride and support the band however I can.

PRE-ORDER:
https://devangelic.bandcamp.com/album/ersetu

DEVANGELIC:
http://www.facebook.com/devangelic.official