Album Review: Devil's Bargain - Visions (2020)

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Picture Credit: Devil's Bargain
Artwork: Ivo de Wispelaere

Devil's Bargain - Visions
Release: May 09, 2020
Format: CD/Digital
Length: 36:31
Origin: Hamme, Belgium

Devil's Bargain from East Flanders formed in 2013. The quintet's first release "Deal with the Devil" is called an album in some sources, and an EP in others. Let's not split hairs here, "Visions" is the band's second output. The band invites us to a journey of occult, melodic, and timeless heavy music. So, let me introduce you to Nico Laureys (drums), Dirk Poppe (bass), Juan Carlos Galdos (guitar), Jurgen van Poppel (guitar), and Arthur Melchior Pagliarini (vocals): here is Hamme's Devil's Bargain!

The direction of Devils's Bargain's music is obvious. The quintet orientates itself to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock in the style of the 1970s and 1980s. I personally see parallels to Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Blind Guardian, and a bit of Kreator.
The songs' structures are pleasant to follow, and yet they do not follow a simple verse-brigde-chorus-verse-chorus-coda scheme. Devil's Bargain neither oversimplify, not do they overcomplicate. Music-wise too, they found a good balance between rough riffing and fast rhythms on the one hand, and melodic motifs on the other. With Arthur Melchiors clean vocals and the swift leads and soli, a certain proximity to Prog and Symphonic Metal can be spotted as well.

Back to the terms of timeless and occult I mentioned earlier. "Visions" is an album that brings late-70s and early-80s Heavy Metal and Hard Rock back to our times without sound antiquated or appearing like a warm rehash. And then there is this constant gloomy undertone situated somewhere between Sabbath-like Doom atmosphere and Maiden's 'Number of the Beast' which gives "Visions" this beautiful occvlt vibration that I enjoy a lot.
Release number two by Devil's Bargain makes me want to put on my cut-off, tight jeans, and make my loose hair spin with the beat.

Devil's Bargain Online:

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