New Zealand Heavy Metal Forum & Discussion

[Dead Kid]

The House of Capricorn's second full-length monument is a solid step up from the last. The gloomy mood and eerie production of the vocals give the music an otherworldly vibe. It's impressive to hear the band go in a new direction, channelling more influences and conquering more subgenres without abandoning the sound they'd already established. The album's concept of a journey into hell to meet the devil holds up well and makes it all the more interesting to listen to.

The opening song 'All Hail to the Netherworld' kicks things off with hints of black metal intensity, while the next track 'Les Innocents' pays homage to Black Sabbath and stomps along at the pace of a funeral procession. The sharp contrast between the two lays the grand intentions of the album bare, opening up a rift ripe for descent into hell. Acoustic guitar is introduced to the album in the interlude 'Canto IV', and plays a notable role in the mostly mellow 14 minute song 'Horns'. The generous track length of the latter highlights the big Type O Negative influence that runs throughout. Backing vocals regularly add to the atmosphere of the album's second half, something which the band hasn't made use of before. No one song has particularly stood out at me yet, just bits here and there. There's some memorable riffs and some mean lyrics.

It's great seeing these songs live, but to me it's the studio albums that really show the breadth and depth of the band. Unlike the previous album which was mostly upbeat, In the Devil's Days is a downbeat and depressing slab of nastiness, slithering around between gothic metal, dark rock 'n' roll and funeral doom. The move to an emotionally crushing sound has echoes of Ulcerate's effort earlier in the year. 2011 is the soundtrack to drinking alone at the bar.

And the barman has horns.

9/10