“This is not a test, this is not a joke, we as a species are overwhelmed. We are outnumbered” a voice intones from a pretaped recording, introducing a song off metalcore Christian band The Devil Wears Prada epic metaphor for those with and those without faith in Christ, Zombies. When they hit the song on Tuesday evenings 8:18 tour at Best Buy, they hit it very well; the keyboards aren’t there for color, as they are on recordings, they are there for heft, the guitar handles the melody instead. Mike Hranica has something that was obviously beyond the kiln of the three bands that opened the evening, shadings in his bowels of heel vocals, and the riff is a juggernaut.
The audience, white teen fans with quite a smattering of girls in their number, are moshing, but also pogoing, and following “Outnumbered” they play the gorgeous “Kansas” which isn’t really core anywhere and which really isn’t core anything. In the three years since rock nyc introduced me to the band here, their recorded work has gone from strength – 2011’s Death Throne to strength – 2013’s 8:18 , with their live album in the only. There is no bummers here and if DWP is better on record than on stage, a surprise to me, blame it on a band that remains on the distance and a certain refusal to go too far out. And mean, how much damage can you do in a polo neck. DWP are not sexy.
Neither were the three opening bands,Christian metalcore bands all, though all of them have their pluses. Helen Bach fave Texas In July have been around since 2007 and have a sweet demeanor but need a lot more clout, Volumes get the best mosh pit of the night and with two lead singers are possibly the loudest -which means the good Christian’s don’t mess with each others sound, and The Ghost Inside are further along than the other two and are so grateful to be here, you wanna hug em.
All four bands don’t sell their Christianity at all, the closest we get is Hranica’s benediction before the encore “may God’s good love and grace be with all you wonderful guys” and it goes back to what Mike told Mary Magpie a coupla years ago: “We think of things very plainly as far as the ministry. We never do church tours or anything like that, we do stuff like this, like the Killswitch (Engage) tour and whatnot, it’s really about bringing people to tours rather than going to those that already know the message because they know it.”
Yet all four bands, and especially DWP, offer a different type of metal experience: the usual traditions and emblems of hardcore aren’t there; there is no anarchy, no 666. no suicidal depression trip because among the things The Devil Wear Prada do on stage is make an emphatic statement that life is terrible but something better awaits; they can join their audience in the angst of teendom because they pull them out of it time after time.
But the Christianity plays in the background, if you love Devil Wears Prada pounding, beautiful monster of a sound, you will check out what they are thinking about. On stage the band lets the light show do half the work and Mike does the other; a good front man despite his refusal to glam up the proceedings with sex appeal, he stalks the stage and pounds the wood, he kneels, and bounces up: the center of attraction and at his best in “Danger: Wildman” more than “Sailor’s Prayer”where bassist Jeremy DePoyster takes the verses.
It was a good set, all four bands gave everything they had, it was spiritually generous, the sets weren’t overlong, DWP played for only 65 minutes, and it allowed the audience to come to them, to join with them. More people of faith should use the Devil Wears Prada as their example.
Grade: B+