The Devil's Blood
The Time of No Time Evermore
VAN Records
2010
Finally we have
the debut full length from the Dutch occult rockers who are enthralled with all
things musically imbued with the spirit of the 60s and 70s. After a quick
intro, Evermore kicks out the jams, with powerful female vocals and a sense of
foreboding woven into the fabric of the riffs. A spirit of freedom and
liberation permeates the single, I'll Be Your Ghost, with its catchy, sing-along
chorus and rockin' guitar soloing. Doomy riffs, and somber leads flood
Yonder BEckons with a feeling of wonder and discovery. The movement of the
song, imitates a female figure swaying slowly to a mystical melody and the
vocals filter in an arcane mastery of spoken words while a unfettered guitar
solo adds a bit of fire to the calm. Layered vocals and a shimmering
guitar fall to the wayside as a commanding female voice shatters the stillness
on House of a Thousand Voices. A pulsing bass and flowing guitar usher a
repetition of the cycle of layered voices and commanding vocals. The
imposing stomp of Christ or Cocaine leads you right down the Sunset strip like a
dusty version of Jefferson Airplane. Twin guitar harmonies and floating
female vocals lift Angel's Prayer to heavenly heights. And then the
acoustic guitar that powers its way into the beating heart of Rake Your Nails
Across the Firmament is paired with gang vocals that cut with power across the
fabric of song. Regrettably the album has to reach its zenith and expire,
luckily it finds its demise in the sultry black art of The Anti-Kosmik Magick
which draws a cloak of seriousness and wrathful introspection. At first I
was a little disappointed because the songs weren't as immediately gratifying as
on the Come Reap EP, but after repeated listens I think The Time of No Time
Evermore contains even better material. No matter how poppy their brand of
60s/70s rock is, there is a current of dark magic flowing through it like a
river of shadows. It's as if by regressing into music's past The Devil's
Blood have resurrected a freshness within the framework of occult rock that fits
perfectly into the metal underground.