Review by Michael on March 21, 2023.

Oops, is this new In Flames? That was my first (positive) thought when I heard the intro to 'Feeding The Decline', the first song on Deimos' Dawn debut. Melancholic violin sounds (as they were also heard on the debut album of the Swedes from what it feels like a 1000 years ago) start the song but after about 25 seconds a Tom Araya memorial scream ends this mind game and you get a nasty, brute thrash riff rolling around the ears and this will be repeated on all eleven songs in a similar form.

What this new German thrash metal band formed around Marc Grewe plays is uncompromising thrash, which stays on a high tempo mostly, but also slows down here and there in favor of some groovy elements. For example 'The Final Illusion', which starts quite modern but develops into a galloping stomper that is very catchy and has a quite great chorus.
'Over Your Dead Body' reminds me in parts of newer Kreator (guitars), with Marc's vocals giving it a heavier touch than, for example, "Hate Über Alles" has. The song is also very catchy and has some cool groovy parts that almost invite you to bang. Whereas, when Marc tries to sing a bit more melodic, the whole thing sounds like a slightly drunk Lemmy (although, as we know, there never was such a thing). Songs like 'The 4th Wall' or 'Two Handed Game' remind of Forbidden on their "Distortion" album and also a few bluesy influences like in "When In Doubt: Kill!", which have strong parallels to Overkill and of course Black Sabbath. A really cool thrash highlight can be found on 'Put Down That Weapon' pretty much at the end of the album. The song starts pretty quiet and then literally explodes in the further course. Especially the chorus is aggressive and insistent but the whole song is also spiced up with a few casual thrash guitar solos. That song is a real grenade. Also 'Unholy Water' impresses with its catchiness and melody and reminds of Morgoth a bit. The song is played mainly mid-tempo thrash, which is ultra groovy and guaranteed to be a real live banger.

As a conclusion it can be said that Deimos' Dawn have presented a damn good thrash metal debut which skillfully combines modern sounds with old school thrash on which all five musicians show their skills. Marc Grewe shows that he can perform not death metal only but also thrash and now I'm curious about what else will come from him and the band. 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Maverick on March 23, 2024.

I am a die-hard fan of melodic brands of metal (melo-death, melo-black, melo-metalcore). With that said, I think Devil You Know has justified the status of metalcore as a valid genre. I've said time and time again that metalcore is a dangerous genre, because many bands do it WRONG. You have various horrific bands, like Demon Hunter and the like dancing around as if they're that great.

First, this album is filled with a balance of melodic death metal, hardcore, and some experimental moments. You will discover that there is a frenzy of amazing break-downs (oh shit - did I just praise break-downs? Well get the hell over it). The drumming is typical of metalcore, and in some places I am reminded of All That Remains which can prove to be completely disastrous, this band however makes metalcore look good - don't forget the opening thesis of what I said.

Second, the vocals in this band are none other than ex-Killswitch Engage vocalist - Howard Jones. Howard's vocals are a necessary force in the realm of heavy music, in this album his voice seduces us. The highlights of his vocals can be seen in "Seven Years Alone," where he moves in a melodic death metal tone, and at certain moments climaxing with metalcore screams, and at certain instances he does his clean vocals. Which is plain brilliant, his voice is indicative of the maturity he presents - even though it seems to make things sound alternative (like "I Am The Nothing" which in my opinion is a song that was almost boring). Nevertheless, considering the range that Howard captures, I think his vocals are praise-worthy based on the entirety of the album.

Third, the guitars are strikingly similar to All Shall Perish's "The Price of Existence" and "This Is Where It Ends" in a variety of instances, especially "A New Beginning," "Crawl From The Darkness," and "Seven Years Alone." It didn't come as a surprise to notice that All Shall Perish guitarist Francesco Artusato is playing here. However even amongst the similarities here, Devil You Know succeeds in producing an original album.

Considering the entirety of this metalcore piece, I think Devil You Know is actual evidence that metalcore is still a decent genre. If you are not a retard who thinks too much of yourself in terms of "pure metal," by all means listen to this. This is a metalcore album which will not be forgotten, and dare I say a definite challenge to the position of Killswitch Engage's "Alive And Just Breathing." Killswitch Engage, you have been dethroned.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10