Devilfire - Dark Manoeuvres album review

Classic rock gets a modern makeover

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Cover art for Devilfire - Dark Manoeuvres album

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Years in the planning by producer, songwriter and lead vocalist Alex Cooper, but only forming as a band in 2016, Devilfire finally coalesced as a tight unit while recently supporting former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen.

The level of studio experience is apparent immediately across these 13 tracks: the easy swing of Tear Me Apart, James Bond stylings of She’s Always On The Run and love-is-pain epic Ready For War? sound like a band that has been round the block a few times already. The quality is undeniable. And with co-producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Funeral For a Friend) mixing, the result is loud and modern, every tune crammed with vocal harmonies, backing synths and layered guitars.

A formidable first album.

Essi Berelian
Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.