The Devil Wears Prada. Wasn't that some kind of chick flick with Meryl Streep? I've never seen it, but that's what I heard. Well, apparently there's a band of the same name who just released a new album, Plagues, on Rise Records.

Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, The Devil Wears Prada is one of these bands that tries to combine several styles—metal, metalcore, emo and death metal—into a pile of noise, breakdowns and clean choruses. Vocals are screeched and growled in parts, and most choruses are sung in an emo-style. Think Bullet for My Valentine or Atreyu. The riffs are strong when they shy away from the predictable breakdowns and break out some '80s metal moments in the Metallica vein, but the best part about this release is the backing keyboards and synths. These effects warble and fizz between riffs and lyrics, and add a moody atmosphere with creepy organ sounds when called for. I honestly can't tell you anything about one particular song, as they all seem to blend together.

This is an interesting album, and it certainly doesn't bore. This is music for the new-school rock and metal fans. If you like the above mentioned bands or Between the Buried and Me and others in this realm, you should find good fortune with The Devil Wears Prada.