The Devil Wears Prada Albums (3)
'With Roots Above and Branches Below'
Release Date 5/5/2009
Tracks 11
Label Ferret
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The question of progression for the Devil Wears Prada lies not in innovation but refinement, with the vaguely Christian screamo sliding effortlessly toward pure metalcore on their third album, With Roots Above and Branches Below. Such developments are subtle, all a matter of precision both in how the band executes their metallic breakdown and how they swing from bellowed verses to crooned choruses without a hiccup. By now, this is a familiar template for Devil Wears Prada but With Roots sees an intensification of both elements, the heavy riffs almost crushing in their weight, the melodic portions gliding easily even they never ever risk being catchy. This dexterity is impressive although it's a bit exhausting; acoustic guitars and piano are the eyes of the hurricane, a brief respite from the cookie monster screams and digital distortion. DWP's reliance on multi-segmented songs, shuffling through the breakdowns and choruses at will, gives With Roots Above and Branches Below the impression of an elongated suite, one where there's no inherent meaning -- it's hard to follow what's being screamed and songtitles with references to Scientology and The Office don't give much away either (if anything they suggest that the songs aren't really about anything, either) -- apart from the sheer onslaught of sound. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's unclear whether Dayton, OH's the Devil Wears Prada took their moniker from the popular chick flick, or the novel that spawned it (maybe they asked the horned one himself?), but one can only guess at their motive for doing so. Were they seeking an endorsement deal with the pricey Italian fashion label (do they have a mosh pit clothing line)? Trying to convert teen girls who liked the movie into fans? Or perhaps, appropriating a relatively well-known marketing catch-phrase that also conveniently alluded to their Christian beliefs? Whatever the reason, the youthful sextet shifted a respectable amount of units with their first CD, 2006's Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord, and therefore saw no reason to tarry, nor alter their spastic screamo/metalcore formula while recording sophomore outing, Plagues, lest this peculiar trend should suddenly go cold on them. As a result, typical new offerings like "Number Three, Never Forget" and "Hey John, What's Your Name Again?" jostle the usual conflicting tendencies toward downtuned brutality and soaring harmonies, topped with alternately growled or clean-sung vocals to match each occasion -- but attempt nothing that TDWP influences like Norma Jean, Haste the Day, and the similarly synthesizer-addled Still Remains haven't already explored more extensively and effectively. What's more, the Devil Wears Prada also subscribes to the irritating post-emo fad of consigning silly and/or utterly unrelated titles to songs whose stream-of-consciousness lyrics meld romantic/existential/religious allusions both recklessly and indiscriminately (e.g. "HTML Rulez D00d," "Don't Dink and Drance," "Nickels Is Money Too") -- as if scripture wasn't misleading enough as is. Another flagrant example, "You Can't Spell 'Crap' Without 'C'" actually makes the Sesame Street classic "'C' Is for Cookie" sound remarkably profound, and counts with the ringing intellectual endorsement of Chiodos singer Craig Owens, to boot. But hey, whatever works, and this seemingly faulty recipe seems to have done just fine for the Devil Wears Prada in the past, so one can only assume that more Christian screamo fans will be happy to accept their fashion advice a second time around, and embrace these Plagues wholeheartedly. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 11
Label Rise/Victory
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The full-length debut by the Devil Wears Prada shows that as dubious as the concept of Christian metal might sound to the unconvinced (and/or the unsaved), it's not necessarily an intrinsically bad idea. This Dayton quintet is fairly wide-ranging in its influences, flavoring the standard blastbeats-and-unison-riffs template songs with keyboards out of European symphonic metal, emo-tinged clean vocals (courtesy of guitarist Jeremy DePoyster) and, most surprisingly, a sense of playfulness that's largely missing from both CCM and metal. Even aside from some jokey song titles ("Who Speaks Spanish, Colon Quesadilla"), there's a lightness of spirit evident in these songs that elevates Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord above the standard-issue metal ghetto. Essentially a re-recording of the band's 2005 debut EP, Patterns of a Horizon, plus two excellent new songs, "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over" and "Texas Is South," this album features better sound and tighter arrangements than the debut, rendering the earlier record necessary only for completists. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
