We Rise product reviews

This album had the potential to be the best rock album of the year. Commercially, it may still do so; it reached Gold status in a week! which - don't get me wrong - is a great feat by any New Zealand Artist.
But it fell slightly short of my expectations.

I have seen Devilskin live maybe 4-5 times in the past, and I have noticed that either I am just becoming acclimated to their music, or they are getting softer, and more mainstream. The first time I saw them live, they were an opening band in one of New Zealand's oldest pubs; the Kentish in Waiuku. And their music was a fresh mix of clean melody, and deliciously feminine yet still heavy metal vocals.

As time goes on, their shows have become more about the performance, than it has the music, and the heaviness has reverted more towards the generic rock category, with the occasional heavy growl in the background. The album does have it's heavy parts, with some songs being almost entirely low screaming, but this release as a whole, was so much lighter than I was expecting.

If you listen to the iTunes release of the 'Start a Revolution', then watch the music video online, the stark contrast in sound and what is expected of them to survive commercially is surprising. The heavy highlights of the album for me are 'Elvis Presley Circle Pit', 'Vessel', and 'Violation'. And they are enough to make me recommend buying the album. Sadly not enough to allow me to give full marks. Still an A+