We’ve seen a lot of bands in our time. Some are memorable, some become classics, and others disappear almost as quickly as they arrived. But when it comes to DEVIL MASTER, these guys are the real deal. We’re not saying that simply because the band has built its identity around satanic imagery, supernatural themes and a healthy dose of psychedelic weirdness. We’ve actually seen DEVIL MASTER live, and boy howdy, do they deliver.
The Philadelphia-based psych/black metal outfit has just unleashed its latest album, Bloody Dreams, through Relapse Records, giving fans another opportunity to get swallowed up by the band’s strange little corner of the musical abyss. Now, DEVIL MASTER is taking that madness on the road with a U.S. fall headlining tour beginning Oct. 28 at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York.
The upcoming run will take the band across the country, with stops planned throughout the East Coast, Midwest, West Coast and beyond. For anyone who has experienced DEVIL MASTER in a live setting, the announcement should come as particularly good news because this is a band that makes considerably more sense when you see them unleash their bizarre brand of darkness in person.
Bloody Dreams finds DEVIL MASTER continuing to blur the boundaries between black metal, punk and psychedelic music. The album was written entirely by Darkest Prince, whose fascination with older literature, decadence and the darker side of human nature continues to inform the band’s strange aesthetic. Beneath all the occult imagery and filthy riffs, however, there is a musical foundation that reaches well beyond straightforward black metal.
That combination has been part of DEVIL MASTER’s identity since the band formed in 2015. Their music can be vicious and grim one moment before suddenly revealing a groove or melody that feels almost celebratory. Tracks from earlier releases such as “Black Flame Candle,” “Devil Is Your Master,” “The Vigour of Evil” and “Acid Black Mass” demonstrate how naturally the band moves between punk energy, black metal aggression and psychedelic atmosphere.
Bloody Dreams was mastered by Arthur Rizk and engineered by Davis M. Shubs and Grammy-nominated engineer Eric Bogacz. The album also features appearances from Mirai Kawashima of Sigh, former Power Trip drummer Chris Ulsh and Ur Èmdr Œrvn of Arkha Sva.
But while the studio album gives you the opportunity to absorb DEVIL MASTER’s twisted musical world at your own pace, we’d argue that the live experience is where this band really needs to be experienced. We’ve watched them perform, and there is nothing particularly passive about the experience. DEVIL MASTER doesn’t simply stand onstage and play the songs. They create an atmosphere that feels like you’ve wandered into something you probably shouldn’t have found.
If you haven’t seen them yet, this fall might be your chance. Bloody Dreams is out now through Relapse Records, and DEVIL MASTER’s U.S. headlining tour kicks off Oct. 28.
DEVIL MASTER U.S. Fall Headlining Tour:
Oct. 28: Brooklyn, NY, Saint Vitus
Full tour dates and ticket information available here.
DEVIL MASTER has spent more than a decade carving out its own strange little space between punk, black metal and psychedelic music. After seeing the band live ourselves, we can say with confidence that the hype isn’t coming from the corpse paint and satanic imagery alone. These guys can absolutely back it up.