With a name like Devilstrip, there was only one genre of music the US band were ever going to make: This is full throttle rock from the get-go. Gravitate is the third album from the group and continues their passion for all things hard rock. The stateside influences are there too from the Metallica to Limp Bizkit. Make no mistake this is a very American rock album, and it has all the cocksure attitude to
boot. Snakebite has the swagger you’d expect from Guns N' Roses and Testify is so testosterone heavy that you feel you have just walked into a bar brawl. The band have worked hard to stretch themselves for this album, and they tackle tricky subjects from extremism to addiction. The guitar-based ballad Came Here To Fight about a soldier going to war, exposes sensitivity behind the perceived ideas of masculinity and is a stand out track for the band. Despite its American sound the last track does have a slight influence from this side of the pond; Water has the hopelessness of Placebo’s Pure Morning and leaves the album ending on an unsettling note.
Devilstrip are clearly into their stride on Gravitate, happy to draw from other aspects of the genre, but ultimately being loud and proud about the rock music they create.
Groupie Rating 3/5
