The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and
Branches Below (Ferret)
When speaking of an upcoming release, most metal bands will describe the new
effort as their heaviest and most mature album to date. With Roots Above And
Branches Below fits that description perfectly. After releasing two full
lengths and an EP in a three years span, The Devil Wears Prada slowed things
down and worked on With Roots Above for a year and a half. This time around
the album doesn't feel rushed and seems as if the band actually learned how
to play their instruments. The biggest improvement on the album is the drum
work of Daniel Williams. The drumming on previous albums felt sloppy upon
every listen but are clean and crisp on With Roots Above. Vocalist Mike
Hranica's vocals are more prevalent on the album and feature a greater range
than any of their previous work and stands out on tracks like Danger:
Wildman and Sassafras. Another thing listeners will find with the vocals is
that their is much less clean singing than on Plagues and it works with the
album well. The instrumentals on the album are more mature and feature more
than the average chug breakdown and the keyboard work is much more detailed
and even has an orchestral feel to it at times. With Roots Above and
Branches Below is by far the most solid effort by the band and will open the
group up to tons of new listeners. For those gamers out there, check out the
free download of the track Dez Moines on Guitar Hero World Tour.
Nick Zimmer