Indymetal.com review of "Cash is King" Devil To Pay - Cash Is King Posted on Friday, March 03 @ 00:00:00 EST Topic: IndyMetal.com Album Reviews Reviewed by Jason Lekberg. Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if you took Queens of the Stone Age crossed them with ZZ top and had Crowbar cover it? Indianapolis' Devil To Pay has your answer with their thick as molten sludge riffs topped by a perfect combination of gritty/clean vocals. Their new album, Cash Is King, shows a steady, solid, crushing step forward that craftily combines a commitment to the legacy of the Stoner/Doom genre with a mass friendly appeal. Guitarist/Singer Steve Janiak has the gift to continually write neck snapping, fist pumping riffs that stand up to the best anyone have to offer. The addition of guitarist Bob Bridges has ever so slightly tightened up their attack, while drummer Chad Prifogle and bassist Matt Stokes continue to provide a rock solid, machine like back bone. Cash Is King carries a solid, steady groove from beginning to end providing the perfect soundtrack for either a cross-country Harley ride or a night drinking and raising hell. Unlike many other stoner/doom bands, DTP's crushing tunes quickly become anthems with Janiaks hook-laden melodies peppered with the occasional well-placed scream. Nearly every single track embeds itself in you from the first listen. I've found that is physically impossible to not groove to the songs. Add to that the depth of Janiaks lyrics and this juggernaut becomes a force of substance as well. The lyrical creativity is staggering with lines like, "well the judgement came and i can't complain got a prime seat down in hell the keys to heaven are lost forever in the wishing well... Well let me guess, we've all been blessed and lord hears all your prayers, between creation and revelation there's plenty of time to care, and yes I trust, we turn to dust it's such a tragic fate. Is that why you smile, cause life's some trial and death is eden's gate" . Lines from other songs like "get high, when you're so low" show the lighter side of the band, and lines like "And the only road I take, is the road I make, see me when the road it ends" illustrate a refreshing honesty. The only negatives I see are that 14 tracks are a lot to digest at once. I feel it slightly takes the focus away from the individual songs. Not to say that it couldn't also be a plus as a solid album is hard to find now days. The other negative would be the albums title. At first glance it would appear to be an homage or acclamation of the subversive influence of money on art. However, from personal conversations with Janiak, I know that it is rather a declaration of the main theme of the disk: the fact that wealth is power and we are all unable to escape it's influence. Respect must be paid to the fact that despite it, they have stayed true to their craft and the result is a product that is honest and viable. Devil To Pay has found the perfect formula for thickness, groove, and melody. There are far too few bands that fill that niche, and I believe the public has been waiting. I look forward to the day when Devil To Pay can dethrone the king.