The Devil's Blood - The Time of No Time Evermore (Van)

With a robust, sensual voice that ‘rouses the psychedelic maidenheads of the late 60’s, singer F. commands The Devil’s Blood, a Dutch outfit dripping in bloodlust, sex, and Satan. It’s Horror Soul, as they call it, swollen with occult eroticism that slithers through their sound, bringing the best of Black Sabbath, Roky Erickson, Blue Oyster Cult and the dueling guitars of Thin Lizzy together in a spellbindingly original offering. From the beginning there is no shortage of hypnotic lyrics: blackened hymns charred with serious Satanic paeans composed by the band’s founder SL. drag you deep.

“So now the grounds are wet with blood/ And so our hands are wet with love/ Our loins explode with primordial heat/ Rejoice as snakes coil amongst our feet“ F. intones majestically in “Evermore.” Later, the ever elusive question of “Christ Or Cocaine” is posed with a staccato kick, and “Queen of My Burning Heart” paints pictures of the Witching Hour with guitars that have their Heart on for 70’s hard rock. With all the dark intrigue and underworld allegories in such a catchy setting, it’s near impossible to choose which is most bewitching on The Time of No Time Evermore.

“House of 1,000 Voices” is heavily textured with killer harmonies amidst a dizzying atmosphere, and “Feeding The Fire With Tears And Blood” has an equally disorienting chorus chant. Thematically, it makes sense the band has strong ties to the Black Metal scene, actually naming themselves after a song by Swedish stalwarts Watain, whose singer, Erik Danielsson, co-wrote “The Yonder Beckons.” While the musical influence of the genre is less apparent, their aesthetic is intimately shared. The band’s execution is so dead on that whether or not you share their Luciferian beliefs or their connection to bleaker sonic realms, you’ll reap the benefits. Without playing for shock value, The Devil’s Blood weave a smoky cloak of cloven hoof and hook-driven rock ‘n’ roll. And as everyone knows, once you go black…