CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2018: DEVIATE - "STATE OF GRACE"

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2018:

DEVIATE - "STATE OF GRACE" (1999)
(Running time: 39:00 minutes; 12 songs)
("I Scream Records"; CD):

Tracklist:
(01.) "WOUNDS OF TIME"
(02.) "STATE OF GRACE"
(03.) "STEPPED OFF"
(04.) "EMPTY WORLD"
(05.) "AFTERTIME"
(06.) "CIRCLE OF FRIENDS"
(07.) "DAWN OF MANKIND"
(08.) "BURNED OUT"
(09.) "ONE BY ONE"
(10.) "BROKEN ANGEL"
(11.) "LOW-DOWN"
(12.) "WALK WITH DEATH"

Hey guys, yes, I know, I'm a bit too late with or for this very post here, the "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" post in the "APRIL 2018" edition, and I'm sorry for or because of that but I just did not get it done at the 30th of April 2018 and yesterday... damn it... yesterday I was by far to 'hung-over' to say it that way and if you get what I mean... and so, yes, but anyhow now finally today it will come up for you. A little bit inspired by the "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - MARCH 2018" post this very one here and now is, because right after my post about HARD RESISTANCE and their "ENGINE OF HATE" it was absolutely clear to me that this very one here will be the next entry in this little posting series up here and what I am talking about is the almighty 1999 full-length-release of/by no one else than the almighty DEVIATE titled "STATE OF GRACE" released back then via the legendary "I SCREAM RECORDS" label (correct me if I am now completly wrong but I think it was sort of just also due to DEVIATE that "I SCREAM RECORDS" were originally founded due to the fact that the bandmembers themselves founded this later-to-become-a-legend label back then in the first place) and DEVIATE, that like also HARD RESISTANCE hailed from Belgium (out of Brussels, to be more precise) and their "STATE OF GRACE" masterpiece album seem to me also like HARD RESISTANCE with their "ENGINE OF HATE" last month a today by far too often forgotten amazing jewel that far too many today just don't have on their radar screens anymore and this is something... god-damn it... this is something incredible unjust, unfair(ly), and undeserved in epic extent(s), yes, and so I will do my very best to pay tribute and give honour where it is more than justified and deserved, hell yeahr, and so now here we go.

DEVIATE's "STATE OF GRACE" was and is personally for me one of those albums that sort of made me who I am today, such a huge impact it had (and still has on me) and such a lifechanging and groundbreaking album it was and is to me and such a big influence it had and continues to has on me and this not only sort of ''in a musickal way''. I think (or hope) you get what I mean, yes, because I guess we all have albums like this that sort of added massively their immense weight'n'influence to making us to or turning us into who we are today and DEVIATE's "STATE OF GRACE" is one of those albums to/for me. And also personally for me there are so immense many great memories connected to/with this album that it also really always brings a really large, huge sort of  'emotional-smile' to my face when I listen to it and this again and again and time after time. But also (and especially also) all this maybe personal emotional'n'nostalgic feelings that may pop up here and there aside DEVIATE's "STATE OF GRACE" was and is and continues to be a true and real through'n'through manifest of the purest glory Hardcore can be and can have. DEVIATE were founded back then in 1991 and their first releases ("SMALL TRACES OF LIFE"/1993 EP; "CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE"/1994; "WRECK STYLE"/1995; "COLD PREJUDICE"/1996 EP) went back then completly under my radar (again, back then) and my first encounter with DEVIATE was in 1997 with their already third full-length-album "THRON OF THE LIVING" and it conquered me right from the start and together with bands like HARD RESISTANCE, BACKFIRE!, RIGHT DIRECTION, and the RYKER'S DEVIATE quickly turned to almighty champs to/for me and when then two years later "STATE OF GRACE" hit DEVIATE turned to one of my absolute favourite bands and this within the blink of an eye. When and where "THORN OF THE LIVING" was (and is) fucking great, there was (and is) "STATE OF GRACE" nothing but overwhelming and amazing and just outstanding and simply fucking lifechanging to me. The massive amounts of energy, the honest and heartfelt battle-scarred attitiude, the on fiery wings flying and golden through the smoke and ash shining intensity, the unbroken spirit, the highly compacted very sinister and dark but yet all the time unbowed and militant and gladiatorial atmosphere, the massive'n'intense songwriting, the high levels of skills on all fronts, and the very unique identity and character of DEVIATE and especially their "STATE OF GRACE" was (and still damn is) mindblowing and heavily conquering and how they created their very own style'n'sound out of Holy Terror Hardcore like INTEGRITY and IN COLD BLOOD on the one side, traditional NYHC like MADBALL mixed with Metallic Hardcore of the New York breed'n'kind like SUBZERO and 'early' New York raised Metalcore like MERAUDER on the other side(s) was and still is and damn sure continues to be nothing but damn majestic, glorious and fucking unique - and high skilled all the time, too.

DEVIATE deliver on "STATE OF GRACE" absolutely crushing and devastating, sinister, dark, and nihilistic but at the same time ongoingly and through'n'through gladiatorial, militant, and battle-scarred by 1990's Thrash Metal and also Death Metal inspired hard as nails Metallic (Euro Core) Hardcore with a very big Holy Terror spirit breathing life into it all and this all filled with like a tank assault cannon firing and destroying shredding and smashing guitars that deliver everything atomizing riffs, thunderous grooves, forceful rhythm arrangements and just sheer tons of heavy weight power without end leaving only burned and scorched earth behind, and all done high skilled and incredible intense and also with a very special own and unique tone to it all and also there are worked an ass-load full of twists'n'turns into it all to shake it all up always at the right time(s) - and this is to say in general to/about the full force songwriting and not only to/about the guitar work, just that you know that. The drythroated, harsh, and angry shouted lead vocals, backed up by loud'n'proud backing chants, only add up to it all, while the crunchy bass work and the bonecracking and faceslashing, highly dynamic and precise drumming add truckloads of weight, punch, and power to it all. The songwriting is incrdible intense and yet 'beneath the surface' highly (to highest) dynamic and also nicely and refreshingly diverse and the songs are studded with nice little to big fresh ideas and surprising elements and moments and plenty of with full force delivered twists'n'turns all along the ride so that if you are into DEVIATE's "STATE OF GRACE" you are in for a grapping, rousing, exciting, and overwhelming ride from start to finish and this still today and time after time again and again and this after now being nearly already twenty years old and that alone says a lot (if not all). Inspirational, intersting, thought-provoking and thoughtful lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and a sort of dark and raw and also smashing production-sound rounded and still round it all perfectly up, turned and still turning it all into the complete package and the real deal - and this for all the damn right reasons. No matter if you take "WOUNDS OF TIME", "STATE OF GRACE" itself, "EMPTY WORLD", "DAWN OF MANKIND", "ONE BY ONE", "LOW-DOWN", "WALK WITH DEATH", the absolute über-anthem "CIRCLE OF FRIENDS" or what-ever song else here you only find purest and most precious platinum and this still after now already nearly twenty years. And it all sounds as fresh and as relevant as back then in the good old glory days of 1999.

Exactly like last months HARD RESISTANCE's "ENGINE OF HATE" also DEVIATE's "STATE OF GRACE" is in my book and personally for me and my very own biography a through'n'through lifechanging and also groundbreaking damn masterpiece and also it is today for all what I get, see, hear, and read by much too far too often overlooked and/or even forgotten and this is (again) something I will never understand or will ever be just only able to sort of understand or what-ever and so I hope I could do my little 'to-do' up here to hopefully change this at least a very bit. I hope that if you don't or didn't know DEVIATE and especially their "STATE OF GRACE" so far you got a bit curious about them and that you will finally change this and make yourself familiar with DEVIATE and their "STATE OF GRACE" and if you should already knew them but should maybe sort of forgot them a bit over the last sort of nearly two decades then this little article here brought them maybe back to your mind and memory again and so that you can start to sort of re-discover them finally again. In my book and personally for me DEVIATE were one of the greatest and their "STATE OF GRACE" was and still is and continues to be one of the greatest moments in Hardcore and I can only highly recommend them'n'it to you right here and right now. DEVIATE called it a day back then in 2003 with their also damn great "RED ASUNDER" from 2002 being their final release and for all what I know so far there was and is no 'proper' comeback or reunion to talk of and so... yes... at least their lifechanging musick remains and so just in case maybe some former DEVIATE member reads this one day just let me say in all honesty thanks for it all guys. Much love and respect. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!

DEVIATE - "STATE OF GRACE" (1999) ///the complete album\\\