Highly produced with drum loops (apparently they used an 808 drum machine) and eighties sounding bass lines the album starts out with a Roxy Music inspired number, Black Ice, although the reference point is supposed to be Yoko Ono’s eclectic song Walking on Thin Ice. Probably the most direct sounding song on the album but there’s better. 

This whole album is so much more synthetic than their previous effort Coal, although just as dark. It has many layers of synthesizers and keys that give it more of an electronic nature all round. It’s still as dark as you’d expect them to be, lyrically and sonically. Standouts include The Pest and the closing track Misericordia. If you want a more rocky, catchy number, choose Mistakes. The Saddest Sound is also a standout, grandiose and incredibly gripping. “What’s the saddest sound?”  It’s nothing.” It certainly is.

Creeping, delayed keys and guitars and sparse drums that weave between subtlety and complexity. I must say I am relieved that Devastations have decided to release albums that are unlike their predecessor- I thought that they would end up being one of these bands that continue to release the same sounding albums and never grow musically.  How wrong I was. Nothing could be more boring for an artist, I would imagine. I look forward to their fourth.

The band is also playing a few shows in Melbourne and Sydney over the next couple of weeks. Try catch them if you can because seeing them live, you’re guaranteed to become an instant convert to their deep, bassy rocking sound.

(Beggars Banquet Records)