Australia isn’t really the first place you think of when you say the word metal. THE DEVIL WHITE comes out of the land down under with a bang. Formed in 2007 by Michael Lenane, after departing the death metal band Pathogen. We’ll see what THE DEVIL WHITE has in store with their self released album Silent Dance With Death.

Right off the bat this music is drenched with Opeth influence. From the way the clean vocals are presented to the melodic intricacies of the guitars. In fact, the guitars are so complex and beautiful I find myself wondering if Mikael Akerfedlt lent a hand in writing. The answer however is not so. My ear is amazed at the mighty chords, guitar solos, and the plethora of pretty layered melodies. The only thing I really do not like is when the harsh vocals kick in. They are screamed in that awful new death metal way, think Lamb Of God. This is the only thing that really runes it for the music. There are times when the song will combine the clean vocals with the death metal vocals. Then there are some songs like Tear You Apart, that seem to change style into an annoying new style of rock metal with loss of the intrakit melodies first heard in the beginning songs on Silent Dance With Death. It’s almost like I am listening to a different band all together. If a band wants to define itself it should stick with one style rather than change styles in the midst of an album. Numb takes us back to the Opeth like music, but the crooning on this song is so out of tune it makes me cringe. Halfway through this album and I find myself praying for it to end soon. Thankfully the next song Cannibal Holocaust is a pretty little didy of an acoustic instrumental with a Spanish flare. The rest of Silent Dance With Death fades in and out of waves of melodic metal combined with the screaming death. Some songs are quite nice and others beg you to press the skip button. I can only take so much of this two toned madness before I’ve had my fill.

THE DEVIL WHITE is not for everyone, but I’m sure it is for some metal fans out there. Fans of Opeth and Pelican should take particular interest.