Review Summary: With Monotony Above and Mediocrity Below
With Roots Above and Branches Below is the third album by Ohioan metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, and also their lowest point musically. Sure, their earlier albums were something of a mess due to their (lack of) song structure, but at least they had the ability to draw you in to the songs. Here, we find the band deciding to bring in order to their music which should make it easier to listen to, but it really doesn't. Not when every damn song sounds the same.
Musically, the guitar playing is constant chugging that blends in with the drums much of the time, and the bass is expectedly nonexistent. They electronics try to add a sense of atmosphere to the album, but mostly show up as random sounds that do nothing to improve the songs. Every song apart from the clean vocal and piano-centric "Louder Than Thunder" sounds exactly the same, with the afore mentioned track and the second-long orchestral intro to "Big Wiggly Style" being the only memorable instrumental parts of the album. Occasionally, there are some melodic riffs that rise above the cacophony of junz, but it is quite bland as well. However, they do add some deviation from the otherwise monotonous chugs when they show up, so they're better than nothing.
Speaking of monotonous sounds, Mike Hranica puts in the worst vocal effort of his career. He screams in exactly two pitches throughout the album. Although this album does mark the beginning of his transition of vocal styles, and the novelty of the approach may explain some of the problems with the sound, it does not excuse them. He does however give the album its third memorable moment: the "I KNOW A GHOST" intro to "Danger: Wildman." Jeremy DePoyster sounds the same as he did on the previous two albums, though perhaps his voice is slightly lower than before. He has standard light end of the spectrum metalcore clean vocals, but they aren't terrible any more than they are unique.
Though frequently cited as the band's turning point from terrible to decent, this reviewer finds With Roots Above and Branches Below to be the brief drop from good before shooting up to great.
Final score: 1.5/5
Recommended Tracks: Louder Than Thunder
