Devilskin
Surfacing – Self Released
New Zealand rockers Devilskin are back with a new six track EP that draws from the past and also the present while hinting at more to come. It’s their first release since 2020 album ‘Red’ won critical acclaim but planned touring fell foul of the coronavirus outbreak. Fans will be very happy that ‘The Whale Song’ is included here along with covers of ‘Holy Diver’ and ‘Barracuda’. Importantly there are three new songs that show the diversity of writing off to a tee. There’s the hard rocking ‘Let Me Breathe’ and ‘Insects’ followed by the anthemic ‘Unborn’ to round things off. Tellingly the trio of latest songs more than hold their own with the first half of the EP. The musicianship and writing sounds fresh while the vocals deliver on so many levels. ‘Surfacing’ shows how much Devilskin have grown as well as why so many people were drawn to their music in the first place.
Review by Gary Trueman