“Does it feel like a heart attack, like there’s no way out and no way back?“
I’ve been listening to The Devil Wears Prada for a little over 14 years, and it’s pretty easy to say they’re one of my favorite bands of all time. When it comes to bands that have been around for a long time, most have duds, sophomore slumps, records that feel completely lacking or just don’t have enough heart. The Devil Wears Prada, against all odds, have somehow managed to be consistent in their output for as long as I’ve been listening, which is in itself an impressive accolade. They’ve somehow incrementally improved with each record, eschewing elements that somehow make their already-strong core sound even stronger, and have developed their sound organically over time, whilst also staying true to what defines The Devil Wears Prada. With the band’s 8th full-length, Color Decay, on the horizon, can the record live up to the sky-high expectations they’ve set for themselves, or will it break the band’s impressive streak of continual improvement?
Color Decay opens with “Exhibition“, setting the stage for the new sonic journey The Devil Wears Prada will grace our ears with, ushering in the listening experience with the lyric “Welcome to the way down“. Laced with fast-paced instrumentals, an equally explosive and addictive chorus sung by Jeremy DePoyster, and of course a breakdown that will make your knees buckle, this is The Devil Wears Prada in their element, doing what they do best with perfect execution. “Salt“, follows, and stood as the third single released prior to the release of the record. Admittedly, the track took a few listens to truly click, but as soon as it stuck, it stuck. It’s one of the few tracks where lead vocalist Mike Hranica plays guitar live and add his instrumental influence to the song. Incredibly catchy, full of atmosphere and meaningful lyricism. Additionally, this is one of the tracks where keyboardist Jonathan Gering really shows just how much of a visionary he truly is (“Some days I think I’m afraid of my shadow. I show up to fight at all the wrong battles. And I don’t think my mind will be right till I pour the salt into the wound“).
“Watchtower“, the second single released for the record respectively, originally premiered in February, and it has certainly withstood the test of time, showing to have intense replay value. The track opens with some phenomenal, high-velocity instrumental work sure to open circle pits anytime and anywhere they play it live. This, of course, is followed by a trademark TDWP chorus, utilizing melodies and pacing to provide a roller coaster of emotion, and that all-too-necessary juxtaposition from Hranica‘s iconic squelching vocal tone. This is all not to mention that the track features one of the heaviest breakdowns on the record, ushering in a riff that leaves a satisfying amount of dead air to give each and every smash the impact necessary to cause involuntary stank face. The following track, “Noise“, continues in style, proving to be nothing short of stellar. Opening with some amazing guitar work that dances from punishing chugs to swirling harmonics, Kyle Sipress and Jeremy DePoyster reinforce just how masterful they are at their craft. The spacious pre-chorus further masterfully builds the tension for yet another barn-burner chorus. The lyricism on “Noise” stands out too, dwelling on indecision and obliviousness due to insecurity (“What if I missed a sign again, so often too insecure. Thrown off by the noise again, like a vision I would blur“).
Onto “Broken“, the track opens in much more reserved style, proving to be much slower than the previous tracks, whilst maintaining tension necessary for yet another fantastic chorus to stick the landing. It’s very melodic, and the lyricism is a dark look inward at ourselves with our own problems (“My hands are torn up from all these broken bottles. I can’t stand, lost too much, I know I’ve got my problems“). Sixth track “Sacrifice” is where we had our first taste of Color Decay, all the way back in in September of 2021. I’m fairly certain that every single TDWP fan I know did not have a single bad thing to say about the song upon its release, and some even went to say it was the best song they had ever written. When “Sacrifice” was first released, it was nothing short of jaw-dropping, and even after listening to it religiously (apparently over 150 times), it still hits just the same as it did that very first time. “Sacrifice” is one of the many examples so far on Color Decay of TDWP taking in all of their strengths and creating something that truly encapsulates all of their greatest qualities in one package. (“I swear I’m not paranoid, I let it in as if I had a choice, just bury me in red. I don’t want another fight. Push me off the edge, and I can be your sacrifice”). Truthfully, I would consider “Sacrifice” to be one of the best metalcore songs ever made, and I try not to take that term lightly. Now at Color Decay‘s halfway point, the record has maintained a track record of excellence that, even as a seasoned TDWP fan, I never quite expected. With six tracks down and six to go, let’s see just how the album develops from here.
Beginning with “Trapped“, and right off the bat you’re hit with a tidal wave of emotion. Like a punch to the face when you’re at your lowest, “Trapped” finds ways to unearth emotions out of you that you may not have felt in a long time. From Jon‘s chilling atmosphere to Mike’s visceral and emotional vocals, “Trapped” is one of the best songs TDWP has ever created, with every aspect being truly immaculate. (“Does it feel like a heart attack? Like there’s no way out and no way back? I hate that you’re being trapped by your issues but I’m here with you.”) After the emotional onslaught, the track turns to “Time“, the fourth single released from Color Decay. Like “Salt“, “Time” did not scratch the itch immediately like the rest of the tracks, and initially I was even a bit downtrodden given how incredible the other singles were. But after digesting it more and more, it grew on me each time (pun intended), and now I hold it in almost equal regard to the other singles. (“Welcome to the great division, the space where numb meets pain“). Drummer Giuseppe Capolupo and bassist Mason Nagy really drive the groove in “Time“, and that chorus melody yet again proves to be wickedly catch. As a sweet, potentially unintentional callback, the strings in the tracks closing moments sound eerily similar to those prevalent throughout the band’s 2009 breakthrough effort, With Roots Above and Branches Below.
There’s no other way to say it, “Twenty-Five” fucking hurts. Holy shit. I don’t remember the last time I cried that hard listening to a song. While on paper it may be a break-up song, it may just be best, and most truly harrowing break-up song I’ve ever heard. From the overall atmosphere, to the instrumental work, to the pained lyricism, to the raw emotion you can feel in Hranica‘s vocals, it perfectly encapsulates the pain you feel when someone falls out of love with you. It’s difficult to put into words how much this song resonated with me. A few hours ago, I just finished an interview with Mike, and he said “Twenty-Five” is a song he never wants to hear again — not because its bad, but because of how much it hurts. It’s a ballad that starts slow and ends strong, and if you can relate I hope you have tissues nearby (“How could you wanna leave? Put down just a memory? Been holding on by a string. Who is it this could be? This person in front of me? Know I tried everything, but not what you wanted“). After the mental torment of “Twenty-Five“, the record slows even more with “Fire“. I think the pacing from the previous track to this one is not only perfectly executed, but further necessary, standing as a much slower and far more atmospheric track than any other from Color Decay. “Fire” took its time to settle in, and wasn’t an immediate lovable track, but, much like many other cuts on here, over time it grew on me to a point where I fell in love with. TDWP took the hyper-spacious, experimental side that could be attributed to some of the relative low points from The Act, and perfected those weaknesses on “Fire” (“If I run into the fire will it burn me? If I throw into desire can it hurt me? You keep calling me a liar, but I see right through through to you“).
The heavy-hitting penultimate track “Hallucinate” gives a timely blast of energy. This track will certainly be a fan favorite amongst the “heavy is better” types, replete with chugs, aggression, and Hranica frankly going off. It has what is likely one of the heaviest breakdowns on the entire record – one that will give you permanent wrinkles from the stank-face (“I’d do anything for some kind of relief. I’d do anything. I’d do anything”). Finally, “Cancer“, and if like me you’re a lover of climactic closers, you’ll love this one. Slower on an instrumental level, but not in the way that was established on “Fire“, feeling fairly disconnected from what you’d expect from TDWP, and frankly? It’s beautiful, and yet another one of TDWP‘s strongest tracks to date to make an appearance here. The lyricism on this track is the standout feature, and it is absolutely fucking heartbreaking, providing a aptly depressing sense of closure to Color Decay (“I hope that it’s cancer, and not something else, ’cause I don’t need any more things I don’t wanna talk about. I don’t need an answer, care about heaven or hell. I hope that it’s cancer, so what does that say about myself?”). We close the books on Color Decay with a moment of atmospheric reflection, followed by a solo demo track of Gering playing acoustic guitar and singing the chorus with that sort of film-like texture on top. Perfection.
The Devil Wears Prada are one of the most consistent bands in the metalcore scene, and they have been for over a decade, no debate. With Color Decay, Mike, Jeremy, Jon, Kyle, Mason, and Giuseppe prove once again they are true visionaries and masters of their craft. I believe Color Decay will go down not only as TDWP‘s most creatively accomplished record, but as one of the greatest metalcore records of the decade, if not all time. At the very least, Color Decay certainly holds that place amongst my own rankings.
10/10
Color Decay will be available September 16th via Solid State Records, and you can pre-order the record here.