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Zodiaco, the first album from the Spanish band Rex Devs, is a concept album based on the different signs of the Zodiac. Each sign has its own song and the whole thing is about 80 minutes long. Rex Devs have a sound that can best be described as black metal gone mad. The drumming and guitar sounds are based on black metal and one of the vocal lines is a black metal shriek. However, the band spices things up by often changing tempos and introducing some sections without the heavy guitars. In what is perhaps the most interesting aspect of Zodiaco, four different voices contribute to the vocal work. In addition to a black metal rasp, the band also makes use of a low death growl, ethereal female vocals and spoken word for vocals. Though it is often disconcerting to be bombarded with so many voices, the many voices add variety to the sound and keep things interesting. In all, it’s a pretty unique sound.
Unfortunately there are a few flaws with Zodiaco My first beef with the album was its length. At almost 80 minutes, it is a lot to digest in one sitting. I also had a problem with the album’s production. The guitar sound is pushed to the back and a layer of cheesy keyboards dominates the mix. For a work with such epic ambition, a beefier production job would have been a huge help. In any case, Rex Devs have to be respected for their ambition. It certainly takes balls to release such a long concept album about the Zodiac in Spanish. Rex Devs should be commended for the fact that this disc is not a complete train wreck. As it is, the disc did severely test my patience and making it through the whole thing was quite a chore. However, the band has some good ideas and they definitely show some promise. With better production and tighter songwriting, the band could be onto something.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Preludio |
| 2. Aries |
| 3. Tauro |
| 4. Geminis |
| 5. Cancer |
| 6. Leo |
| 7. Virgo |
| 8. Libra |
| 9. Escorio |
| 10. Sagitario |
| 11. Capricornio |
| 12. Acuario |
| 13. Piscis |
| 14. Reflexion |
: 79.50
| Buy other Rex Devs albums |
