The Devil Rides Out are inspired by horror films and a Groovie Ghoulies-esque style of pop-punk. Based in Ipswich, the trio are made up of two-thirds of All Else Fails and recorded these four tracks at the Amblin Man Studios in their home county of Suffolk. From the get go this record oozes quality, even if this isn’t the kind of music that usually appeals to me. The vocals are very impressive, albeit very American-sounding, and the drumming is absolutely brilliant – fast, fearless and extremely solid.
The four tracks on offer are very good for what they are. ‘Infected’ and ‘Allies’ are fast and furious, with the vocal melodies offsetting the handy guitar parts. It would be lazy of me to continually throw in references to bands such as The Misfits, but with names such as Marty Corpse and a real horror feel to their artwork, it’s pretty much inescapable. The songs themselves also follow similar patterns to those Lookout! bands of the early 90s – all three-chord guitar parts and singalong pop hooks – complete with token horror and zombie references.
Fans of bands like The Misfits and the Groovie Ghoulies will lap this up. It’s a record that is performed well and has enough catchy elemts to really impress. The production is a bit too tinny for my liking, but as this was recorded just six weeks into the band’s life, it shows potential and promise that will serve them well in the future.
Paul