Review: The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne

 The feeling of anticipation one experiences on the tense buildup heard on the intro of the title track of Dead Throne the fourth album from Ohio metalcore sextet, The Devil Wears Prada, which is then proceeded by a gripping intense and brutal metallic beatdown, puts the immediate thought "Well, looks like I'm going to have an epic headbanging session" into the minds of most listeners. Which is always a good sign.
 On Dead Throne, it's obvious that The Devil Wears Prada are a band who have now matured in their career. The ridiculous song titles such as Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over and Hey John, What's Your Name Again? have now been replaced by simpler one word titles and the sense of passion and heart put into the album has clearly elevated too. Needless to say, the metalcore displayed on the album is absolutely insane. Breakdowns come thick and fast and keyboard effects are often freaky and suit the sheer brutality of it all, but amongst this, a real beauty can be found in this music as well, most notably in the instrumental Kansas, which presents a metallic atmosphere of sadness and lost hope and it is simply beautiful and captivating.
 This feeling is present throughout. Lyrically, the album's concern is that of the idea of false idols, and naturally, a sense of tragedy, suffering and pity is created. And this feeling is perfectly epitomized in the lyrics and vocals of Mike Hranica. His words are so genuine and performed in such a way that really shows he's putting his heart and soul into what he has to say. And just when listeners think the vocal parts cannot get any more beautifully impassioned, we are presented by guest vocals from AILD's Tim Lambesis on the track Constance, who gives it his all and adds an extra sense of wonder and genius to the track.
 Dead Throne is an album of true beauty and passion and shows The Devil Wears Prada at their strongest.

 The Devil Wears Prada's Dead Throne is out now via Ferret Music.