The Devil’s Blood - III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars (2013)

Recently demised The Devil’s Blood returns with one last hurrah with the raw and direct “III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars”. Never intended to be the last release of the band, and never properly completed, this release maintains the mystical magic of the band with a less refined and perfected packaging. Featuring the last seven tracks we will ever hear from this excellent band, this release is indeed very good, but it also has a bittersweet taste of what it could have been if the band polished it as much as their previous releases.

The release leads off with a 22-minute epic under the title “I Was Promised a Hunt”. Supposedly written backwards, this track is a tour de force that goes through tons of different moods and delivers an excellent introduction to the band’s swansong release. The female vocals are outstanding as always and they immediately induce a trance-like state. There are also some male vocals that while odd at first, provide a nice contrast to F’s singing and the lush choir arrangements. The atmosphere in this track is quite dense (as always) and has a very dark vibe to it, greatly enhanced by the brilliant guitar work.

Filled with raw power, “…If Not A Vessel” returns to the catchiness that many fans love about the band. This track has a similar vibe to “She” and “Christ or Cocaine”, some of the most epic and engaging tracks from the band. “In The Loving Arms Of Lunacy’s Secret Demons” gives us that occult energy transmitted through brilliant psychedelic passages crafted by solid guitar and bass guitar work. The band builds a very ritualistic and mysteriously mellow atmosphere with “Dance of the Elements”, one of the best tracks in this release.

The unsettling “White Storm of Teeth” is another very atmospheric piece that creates a very uncomfortable mood in perfect Devil’s Blood fashion. The album closer “Tabula Rasa” has a very nice mystical aura around its excellent psychedelic elements. This track is one of those instrumentals that leaves you at the edge of your seat waiting for the singing to arrive, and it almost never does until the very dramatic and fitting ending.

Closing a chapter in musical history, The Devil’s Blood has left us with a legacy of excellent release. While this last one is not as good and complete as “The Thousandfold Epicentre”, it shows the immense potential and music writing skills the band had. Their unique atmosphere and excellent live presence will be forever missed, but until somebody else returns with a similar philosophy and approach to psychedelic/occult rock, we will have this and their previous releases to enjoy.

Label: Metal Blade Records

Release: June 11th, 2013

Genre: Psychedelic/Occult Rock/Metal

Country: Netherlands