Heavy Planet review of "Fate is Your Muse" Saturday, April 27, 2013 DEVIL TO PAY - "FATE IS YOUR MUSE" Band members: Steve Janiak - Vocals, Guitar Chad Prifogle - Drums Matt Stokes - Bass Rob Hough - Guitar Man, I swear if you listen to "Fate is Your Muse" three times a week, followed immediately by protein/carb drinks after each session, and follow this routine for 6 months, you will look like Mr. Olympia at the end of the cycle, because THIS ALBUM IS HEAVY!. The more I hear it the more I realize just how low and heavy Devil to Pay has made it. It's not just one big lump of metal, but provides finely textured and braided variations on any given song's low tuned riffs and themes. Matt's bass and the guitars of Steve and Rob work together to craft pleasurable mega riffs and snippets of sheer joy on top of interludes of blissful licks, punctuated with welded beads of sheer laserbeam solos. These sounds are wrapped tightly by Chad's energetic, intelligent drumwork that itself is tightly wound and perfectly spaced to create a strong cable of metal might. All of it is deftly and tightly packaged with Steve's unique signature vocals perfectly suited to the melodies they have conjured forth. Of note is that "Fate is Your Muse" is produced by Ripple Music, who have established themselves as one of the major labels promoting truly great rock and roll, whether it be of the stoner, doom, sludge, psychedelic, or retro variety. Devil to Pay's history is of the vein of perseverance and tenacity, having lasted through the inevitable band member changes through a decade of existence, but also through major personal tragedies that would stop anyone else cold in their tracks not truly committed to the cause. Hailing from the Heartland of Indianapolis, Devil to Pay have persevered and are creating some of rock's finest music at present - any genre, any level, any anything. "Fate is Your Muse" contains twelve delicious stoner gems, each weighing tons in combined stonerage, each perfectly relevant on its own, and each adding magnificently to a perfect dozen devoid of sugar and light, but packed tightly with metal grindings, darkness, and distorted reverberations of sheer pleasure. I can't single out any one song or group of songs as my favorites because they all are awesome, as I'm sure you, too, will find them to be incredibly fun to listen to. Devil to Pay kicks off the album with "Prepare to Die" where a classic riff sound permeates throughout and the heavy, low fuzz is ever present, just as it is throughout the album. Here we are also introduced to the signature vocal stylings of Steve's unique pipes, something that doesn't at first scream 'belissimo', but give it a minute, or a couple of songs, and it will quickly fall into place as perfectly matched to the melodies, as previously mentioned. Subsequent playings then become much more enjoyable experiences. "Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife", in addition to providing the best title on the LP, provides a tightly wound tempo of blistering rawhide rampage. Incredible fun. "Wearing You Down" and "Already Dead" slow the tempo down slightly, but the monstrous low riffs are nearly overwhelming, complemented perfectly by searing, soaring solos. "Yes Master" has a slight Alice in Chains feel to it, but still strongly remains signature Devil to Pay, make no mistake. All the big guitar hallmarks wrapped by Steve's signature vocals are there. The quickest, tightest song on the album is "This Train Won't Stop" and it gets my vote for best on the album. A fast paced romp, tight and clean in tempo, fierce and fun in delivery. "Savonarola" keeps the tempo quick and somehow manages to fuzz up the riffage in doing so. "Mass Psychosis" is another great example of artistic maturity in terms of musical creation as the riffs and licks unfold, intertwine, and engage the listener in complex constructs of distortion and metal bliss. "Tie One On", it's own unique construct, follows the same concepts as its predecessors with engaging and engrossing fuzz bomb variations and execution. The riffs are mighty, the vocals sprightly, and the song packaged tightly, creating supreme enjoyment in its low tuned magnificence. The album closes with "Beyond the Ether". This one has traces of original Black Sabbath in it, at once sublime and endurable, etching deep channels of distortion and fuzz into the psyche of the listener. Deep, low, slow, tenuously restrained ethereal power escapes in measured doses as the song trips inexorably forward through the psychotic dark. A majestic ending to a memorable and magnificent dozen of stoner metal treasure. There is no doubt this album can quickly be placed into a category for consideration of inclusion in Top 20 of 2013 lists. It stands out quickly and only rises in stature with each revelational revolution.