Devourer are a black/death metal band from Sweden and this is their fifth album.
Devourer immediately struck a chord with me on their 2017 album Across the Empty Plains. Since then, they have also produced 2019’s Dawn of Extinction and 2022’s Raptus, both quality records that continued to showcase Devourer as a force to be reckoned with. The band are now back with The Wicked Ones, and sound more focused than ever.
The Wicked Ones is Devourer’s shortest record at 37 minutes in length, (apart from their first one, All Hope Abandon), and are now a duo – the vocalist of the previous albums is no longer in the band, with Devourer’s bassist taking over that role, (who is also in Teodolit). Her voice is serrated and venomous, and fits Devourer’s black/death assault perfectly.
The new Devourer is a mix of old and new. The base style of the music remains as it was, but it’s now been given a more intricate expression. The death metal components have risen further to the surface, and the music presents as a true black/death metal hybrid. The Wicked Ones comes across as a mix of second wave Swedish black metal that’s been corrupted by Gorguts-esque avant-garde technicality and enriched by an edge of otherworldly Morbid Angel slithering groove. Of course, individual songs and/or parts of them lean into one style or the other to a greater or lesser extent, but overall, Devourer strike a balance that’s very favourable to them.
Devourer’s blackened aggression engages through nuanced songwriting and subtle touches that propel the songs to new heights. The guitars in particular are at their most accomplished; they bleed malevolent auras, while also having an instant appeal that’s gripping. The technicality feels like it has gone deeper, but without sacrificing emotive impact; quite the opposite in fact.
All of the songs are well-written and charismatic. They have an overarching stylistic framework that they exist under, yet each track has a personality of its own within this. Every song has its own assets that are worth paying close attention to, and taken together The Wicked Ones boasts a strong collection of tracks.
The Wicked Ones is Devourer’s best album yet. I need a bit more time to sit with it, but it certainly has enough character and potency to attain even more accolades too. Devourer impressed me when I first encountered them, and they have only grown in stature since. Hopefully The Wicked Ones will be the record to propel them further into the extreme metal limelight, as it is simply superior to many higher profile black/death metal releases.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 