The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and Branches Below

One of the downsides of the metalcore genre for some unimaginative bands is that sometimes the unrelenting screaming vocals can stifle the songs, unless they contain enough twists, turns and anything else that help with differentiation. This is exactly what The Devil Wears Prada do on their latest release 'With Roots Above and Branches Below'.

At a little over 40 minutes long this album gives the listener an audio collection of breakdowns, screamo and melodic vocals, beautifully orchestrated soundscapes and most importantly some good songs. Underoath are an influence on the heavier tracks while emo rears its head during the more melodic parts of the album.

Opener 'Sassafras' is an audio version of being hit around the head with a cricket bat, with a melodic outro saving it from becoming a mess. A post-rock layering of guitars throughout the album gives tracks such as 'I hate buffering' a mature and at times spine tingling quality, at odds with the more youthful melody provided by the vocals.

All the influences come together for the momentus trio of 'Assistant to the regional manager', 'Dez Moines' and 'Big wiggly style' which push the quality up another level.

The material from this album will help rip up stages on the Warped Tour this summer, and a lot more after that.