Devanic - Mask Industries

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Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
5,154
13
38
41
Indiana
Devanic – Mask Industries
Self-Released – May 24th, 2006
By Jason Jordan

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Mask Installed – Devanic’s EP – was a competent, if not overly safe, example of melodic death metal in the vein of In Flames, Soilwork, and others. I’m pleased to report that the hour-long Mask Industries, however, is a better and heavier record that doesn’t abandon the melodeath roots this Austrian five-piece evidently hold in high regard. Despite it being too lengthy, there’s a lot to discover and revel in here.

Upon hearing ‘Mask Installed’ for the first time, it was obvious that Devanic decided to increase the heaviness, which definitely works in their favor since there’s too much innocuous melodeath floating around these days. Still, much of MI is approachably melodic – ‘Strike Back,’ ‘Same Shot,’ ‘Reborn Again,’ ‘You Will See,’ and many others. Occasionally the quintet will allow the bass or drums to occupy the forefront, and such techniques help keep the listener’s attention. While Devanic aren’t overwhelmingly unique and will continue to garner comparisons to usual suspects like In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and other Swedish cohorts, they are inventive enough not to be relegated to clone status, yet are indeed too similar to not draw warranted comparisons to those who came before them.

The production isn’t perfect, though it’s above passable, and 58 minutes is more material than is necessary – a few tracks could be cut and I wouldn’t miss ‘em – but if you enjoy a solid platter of melodic death, then Mask Industries is worth a look, providing you haven’t overindulged in this style. If you have – well, you’d avoid this anyway.

Official Devanic Website