The Other – The Devils You Know

Halloween has arrived early this year.  German horror punks The Other have a monstrous 15 songs on The Devils You Know, and for the most part quantity does not substitute quality.  The reason for this could be due to the band recruiting new bassist Viktor Sharp.  As lead vocalist Rob Usher puts it, “Lots of ideas on the new album were spawned by him, which not only relieves but also supports Sarge’s and my creativity…”

The Devils You Know begins by setting some atmosphere.  The title track is merely an instrumental and on its own doesn’t accumulate to anything of substance.  But then the following three songs My Home Is My Casket, Take You Down and Skeletons In The Closet are bouncy, fun and truly delicious.  If they were food, they would be pumpkin flavored ice-cream topped off with tricks and treats!  Uptempo songs that carry a deadly hook once the chorus crunches into earshot.  Fright Night and promotional track Puppet On A String also satisfy the thirst for infectious sing-a-long moments whilst maintaining their momentum.  Although Puppet On A String is slower in tempo, this does nothing to diminish its potency.

If you thought that horror punk was one-dimensional then think again.  The final song on this album rises from Dracula’s coffin in the shape of Ewigkeit which translates into Eternity and is a remarkable achievement.  The tempo is slow and the arrangement haunted by what some would refer to as a ballad.  There are prominent strings that surface on Ewigkeit lifting its musical landscape to a more dramatic pitch which all add to the overall tone of this song.  Other highlights include the frantic more conventional In My Veins, Nice Day For A Funeral and In The Shadows.

This is an exciting fifth album which oozes fun and energy, fangs for dropping by.

Click here to purchase The Devils You Know.

http://www.theother.de/
http://www.facebook.com/theotherhorrorpunk
http://twitter.com/the_other