Upon pressing the play button, the listener is welcomed by the opening track, Dream Wolf, which envelops them in a sombre, Sabbathian-inspired atmosphere accompanied by hauntingly doomy vocals.
Deva Silence‘s album, Moon, Misery and a Country Church, provides the listener with nine tracks that total fifty minutes. With Gothic undertones, the music skilfully blends elements of Italian progressive rock, the new wave of British heavy metal, and doom metal from the 1970s. “Hard’N’Loud” is how Deva Silence describes this unusual sound. The lyrics weave stories that are authentically relatable, drawing from both real-life experiences and television dramas.
With their gritty riffs and progressive edge, Deva Silence’s epic, dark, and introspective heavy-doom metal provides a fruit of art release. In addition to being incredibly personal, this music has a strong connection to the history of European heavy music. The composition and arrangement are delivered by this fruit of art, devilmanship. They skilfully combine heavier distorted parts, balanced tempos, progressive elements, and an engrossing atmosphere. Here, the music explores mood, narrative, and rich textures in addition to heavy riffs.
Moon, Misery and a Country Church embodies a DIY spirit with a strong sense of artistic direction, presenting a production style that feels both analogue and partially digital. The sound avoids the harsh “brick-walled” loudness that characterises modern music in favour of warmth, rich saturation, and plenty of headroom. The album has a nostalgic feel thanks to deliberate reverb and a natural atmosphere, especially on the drums and vocals. It embraces flaws as an essential component of its emotional energy and purposefully avoids a contemporary or extremely polished sound.
Deva Silence’s guitar playing showcases a profound respect for the essential sounds of 1970s doom and British heavy metal, drawing inspiration from icons like Tony Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore, while also incorporating elements of progressive rock. Deva Silence’s rhythmic riffs are slow to moderate in tempo, often bass in the pentatonic minor scale, and employ bluesy bends and tritone intervals to create a Sabbath-like atmosphere. The riffs’ progression also has a structural, nearly cinematic feel, with intros that evolve like musical movements.
Alex Nespoli’s lead and acoustic guitar contribute a melodic quality that skilfully counterbalances that song’s dark aspects. A rich soundscape is produced by his bluesy phrasing, harmonized solos, slides, wah-effects, and slow bends. Additionally, he incorporates clean arpeggios and acoustic textures, especially in intros and transitions, which enhances the band’s progressive flair. Deva Silence, who also takes on vocal duties and plays bass, delivers a vocal range that is gritty, passionate, and occasionally theatrical.
Deva Silence bass lines are prominent and fuzzy, reminiscent of early Geezer Butler or Lemmy Kilmister, standing out rather than being overshadowed by the guitar. Massimiliano Martellotta, drums provide a strong foundation based on traditional doom beats and rhythms, with a strong emphasis on ride cymbals, floor toms, and piercing snare hits. All things considered, every song is a mood piece that is meant to evoke feelings, thoughts, and memories in addition to headbanging.
The album concludes with its final track, Notice Of Death. As the music fades into the darkness. We want to give a shoutout to, The Triad Rec for letting us review Deva Silence‘s album, Moon, Misery and a Country Church. Now, we are going to conclude the review by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
