Hard to believe that it is now half a decade since The Devil’s Blood first made a mark upon the world with their Come, Reap EP, a release that fed a groundroots buzz surrounding the group, who in turn helped usher in the current occult rock and metal revival.
The band were supposed to be the group who took Satanism to the mainstream, and while that later turned out to be Ghost, they certainly left us with some stunning recordings and an unmistakeable sound. With that in mind, it’s surprising how far mainman Selim Lemouchi has moved stylistically from the band that made his name. The female vocals are gone of course, but furthermore, anyone looking for another heady and jubilant celebration of the diabolical will be somewhat taken aback by the less in-your-face tracks on this three-song EP.
Thistle maintains the epic posture and Your Way Down has the familiarly raucous guitarwork, but vocals are sparse, the songs heading off into extended jams, with multiple guitars texturing the sort of dreamy compositions that wouldn’t be entirely out of place on a Pink Floyd album. Perhaps inevitably there’s occasionally a touch of self-indulgence, but there’s certainly promise here.
