Devian
Ninewinged Serpent
Century Media
Swing away
After leaving Marduk, vocalist Legion (Heaven Shall Burn to World Funeral) became a tattoo artist, a father and an expatriate of Sweden. Some years passed, and he got the metal itch again. He called up friend and ex-Marduk drummer Emil Dragutinovic (World Funeral to Warschau) for some jam sessions. Songs emerged, as did new cohorts, resulting in a full-fledged band, Devian. Magically, Century Media signed Devian based on their demo—something the label rarely does these days.
The melodic blackened death/thrash of Devian’s debut, Ninewinged Serpent, is a far cry from Marduk’s monochromatic blasting. The sound is a bit safe, and 10 million other bands do it, but the execution is flawless. Especially satisfying is the thrashin’ compassion, as Dragutinovic fluidly mixes polka beats and cymbal clutches with blast beats and machine gun kicks. Gothenburg-style harmonies are plentiful, as are modern touches like the syncopations in “Dressed in Blood” (which strongly echo Machine Head’s “Imperium”) and the Pantera-esque breakdown in “Gemini Is the Snake.” Legion’s rasp could still clean decks (“removes even the toughest stains!”), but his lyrical blasphemy is more nuanced now. Admittedly, this isn’t that hard given a legacy that includes “Christraping Black Metal” and “Fistfucking God’s Planet.”
Oddly, the record is back-loaded. The first two-thirds recall that Fenriz YouTube quote about “a little bit boring thrash with great vocalists.” The real top of the order starts with “Remnant Song,” which somehow marries Immolation atmosphere with Agalloch swing. “Burning Daylight” and “Jackal” are back-to-back thrash homers, while the title track beefs up Slayer trills with Heartwork-esque brawn. Barry Bonds must have had the same dealer. —Cosmo Lee
