Deveria: Suicide Forest

For anyone who has seen BangerTV’s programs about the metal family tree, it’s clear that it is not only difficult to choose which bands best represent a certain sub-genre, but also how to define each sub-genre. I felt that way when listening to Deveria’s first full-length release, Suicide Forest. I guess if I had to choose a primary sub-genre, it would be thrash.

The title of the album is inspired by Aokigahara, the Japanese forest that, sadly, has been the place of hundreds of suicides in that country. I wouldn’t consider this to be a concept album about what drives people to such a dark place, but it seems that many of the songs do touch on that issue, which makes for an emotionally difficult but poignant listen at times. Musically, it is very enjoyable.

The album, appropriately, begins with the brief and atmospheric “The Beginning Of …� and closes with the similarly structured “… The End.� In between, you are treated to some slabs of simply good metal, with occasional progressive elements. The band is from the Albany, New York area and put out a self-titled EP in 2010. After a long period of inactivity, the band regrouped with some new members and released Suicide Forest. There are two songs from the EP that have been reworked for the album, “Silent Cries� and “Fate.� Two of the original members of the band, vocalist Charles Woodard and drummer John Suski, remain. Martin Veeder on bass and Christian Bivona on guitars have subsequently joined.

Woodard employs both clean vocals and some rougher vocals, though not quite growls. Both styles work for me. I think the standout tracks on the album are the hard hitting “One Nation� and “Demons Inside of Me,� as well as the two longest songs, “Kingdom of Evermore� and “Miracles,� both of which clock in at more than seven minutes. The rhythm section is tight, and Bivona has some good riffs and is a fine acoustic player when the mood calls for it, though he seems underutilized at times.

Deveria should be applauded for a strong debut full-length release. It rarely rises to greatness, but is consistently good. The band plays the Albany-area metal circuit, and one gets the sense that they may expand their geographic reach as their presence in the metal community becomes more widely recognized with this release.

Track Listing:
1. The Beginning Of ...
2. Silent Cries
3. Suicide Forest
4. Fate
5. Demons Inside Me
6. Reign of Fire
7. Kingdom of Evermore
8. Miracles
9. IX
10. One Nation
11. ... The End

Added: September 16th 2021
Reviewer: Aaron Steelman
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 876
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]