DEVOLUTION
"Self
Made Monster" (Self-produced)
Reviewed by Rose Grech
Devolution's "Self Made Monster" has an overall industrial gothic tone with great, familiar guitar rifts and subtle techno grooves added in.
There is a combination of two distinguishing singing styles in this album. One is the slow, drowning, lightly Southern effect, which is the dominant vocal. It is similar to, but not exactly like, musicians such as Rob Zombie, Butthole Surfers and Clutch. The other style is the loud, scratchy screaming effect, which is similar to Marilyn Manson. Sometimes these two vocal sounds are both used through one song. This technique is well done in "Flesh."
Some songs are slow, with sudden pounding drumbeats. A few are rapid through the entire song like "Death's Shadow" and "Hellspawn." The lyrics are mostly evil, morbid and have a rhyming style.
Devolution was first conceived in 1993 by guitarist Mike Garrett, but not formed till1995. With his own studio and former bandmates from numerous bands, their first CD, "Cerebrequiem" was released in late 1997.
During the recording of their second album Garrett attended Junior College and experimented fusing his death metal style with techno grooves and gothic orchestral sounds. He also formed his alter ego, Mykill Mayhem. Then "Self Made Monster' was released in 2001 and Garrett/Mayhem was able to explore his talents and created a definitely interesting sound that might catch on.
For more info, check out www.devolution.nu.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Copyright © 2002 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
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Revised: 23 Nov 2020 20:51:45 -0500.
