Echoes and Dust review of "Fate is Your Muse" Devil To Pay – Fate is Your Muse Posted by Sander By John Sturm Out now through Ripple Music Let’s get the superficial out of the way first shall we? Indianapolis’ Devil To Pay have created some album artwork that I have fallen in love with and request, nay DEMAND that they produce it in poster format so I may purchase one. Right, so what lies underneath this delicious artwork? First some history….. Devil To Pay formed in the early years of the millennium. A year after forming, singer and guitarist Steve Janiak was hospitalized in a drug-induced coma after a medical emergency and was besieged by visions and hallucinations from the ‘other side’. Despite the doctor’s grim prognosis, he survived with a tale to tell. Every cloud….. as they say. Add into this mix more rhythm guitarists then Spinal Tap had drummers and a dissolving record company and you've got a great story of trials and tribulations. Oh, and let’s not forget to include a (and I quote) “mind expanding epiphany” in 2011. All of this has led the band to 2013 and to Fate Is Your Muse which is a journey through the “metaphysical realms of consciousness”. So no songs about unicorns then? Shame. The album kicks of with the cheerily titled ‘Prepare To Die’ which has a wonderfully written chorus of “break your doubts and heave them across the sky, all we are is a dream in your eyes”. A side note: I could easily write a whole other review on the lyrics on this album. They are by turns, confusing, enlightening, powerful and moving. Something that seems to mirror the band’s life so far (and the personal experiences of Janiak too). Although taking a break from the metaphysical we dip into the dissolution of a relationship with ‘Wearing Me Down’ which courses with anger and frustration. At this point in the review I wanted to embed one of two standout tracks on this album – 'Already Dead'. But as this album is not yet released, none of the tracks are up online. Which is annoying. Not for me mind you, I have the album. But annoying for you, Dear Reader, as you are unable to hear the swaggering riff and rhythm of this song. You cannot yet imagine how awesome this song will be live. But most sadly, you cannot hear the cowbell used in the chorus and if there is one thing I like in a song it’s a judicious use of cowbell. Standout track number two is 7 minute, slow-burner ‘Yes Master’ which features a riff so heavy and sludgy that it feels like wet cement combined with cake mix is sliding into your ear canals. It’s a monster of a track in every sense. Part Alice in Chain, part Sabbath it never outstays it’s welcome and is wonderfully dark and twisty. There are so many moments of outstanding beauty on this album that it is impossible to do it justice in print. I could tongue-kiss the rolling chug riff of ‘Black Black Heart’ until it hit me with a stick and got a restraining order. I could gush like a schoolgirl about the fantastic interplay between guitars and drums on ‘The Naked Truth’. And on and on like a badly written, cake infested Mills & Boon novel…. Look, this album is outstanding. Now stop reading this bloody thing and head over to HERE and pre-order this slice of magnificence. Quick, before I buy all copies of it in existence just so the eargasm is mine and mine alone.