BLACK & DAMNED is a Power Metal band from Germany formed in 2020. With their existence starting about the same time a global pandemic shut down the touring portion of the music industry, apparently had time to really work on putting out studio music that hopefully is getting on the road now that everything is opening back up. Servants Of The Devil is their sophomore effort and will release on Rock Of Angels Records on April 28, 2023. The album opens with a tasty riff on the track, "Hyena's Call." One thing that is consistent with this band is that they have seriously catchy hooks and melodic anthems. Their rhythms are heavy and full of great tones and excellent tempos. Clean vocals round out their sound. They occasionally get a bit gritty, and do layer in some harsh vocals just to complete the sound.

"Dreamhunter" has one of the heavier riffs on the album and a lot of really nice fills and frills throughout. There are more distorted vocals on this track than the earlier tracks, but the tone/tuning of the song calls for it, so that is definitely the right call. So is the belted vocalization at the beginning. It is that attention to detail that makes BLACK & DAMNED so good. The intro to "The Quantum You" is eerie. The tone of the song is dark and haunted. The spoken word at the start talks about possible alien races being here studying us and the whole song has the vibe, alien, extra-terrestrial. The music fits the lyrics, working together in harmony to create not just a sound, but a mood.

To make sure they have created a proper Power Metal album, they have the requisite power ballad, "Inside." The tones are lighter, the rhythm is more upbeat, and the guitars have some very uplifting sections. The use of backing vocals around the chorus create a wall of sound that crashes over you like a wave, then recedes as the song fades out. The composition is quite stunning on this song. "Hail To The Gods" is the epic Power Metal track. The song builds through the first 30 seconds, growing rapidly to become a guitar-driven track. The rhythm is bombastic, laying a foundation for the guitars and vocals that can hold up under the massive weight of the lyrics. Tons of grit, great low end notes, and a couple of really good belted phrases make this song really freaking rock.

The album closes with the title track, "Servants Of The Devil." Pained screams and clanging bells let you know this song is not about to make you feel good. The riff is dark, feeling almost evil. The voice matches this, especially with the almost harsh voice under the lead. The drumming is slower in some areas and the bass is damn near doom-laden in tone. The track is outstanding and would be a great lead off to a live show.

BLACK & DAMNED is definitely one of my favorite things to happen during the pandemic. Their first album was called Heavenly Creatures, so had a different spin on things. Both albums are really well done. These are veteran musicians and it shows. Both their debut and this one are solid albums, well-written, well produced. This band is one of my favorite finds in three years of writing reviews and I hope this is just the beginning for them!