Someone please send an email to Sweden and let them know that we get it. They excel at all the Metals. All of them. And they have also cornered the market on the best Metal and Rock bands that you should have heard of but haven't. Case in point is DEVILLE. This Stoner Rock/Metal outfit formed 19 years ago. They have six full-length albums, including "Heavy Lies the Crown" released on September 30, 2022 via Sixteentimes Music. Along the way they have shared the stage with Stoner legends such as FU MANCHU, RED FANG, and TRUCKFIGHTERS and, of course, have been through their fair share of lineup changes. And here it is, almost 20 years since their inception and they have dropped another strong album. That's some staying power.

DEVILLE has evolved their sound over the years with "Heavy Lies the Crown" taking on more of a Prog vibe, albeit still very heavy. The album spans eight tracks and clocks out at a brief 33 minutes. The album was actually ready in 2021 but the band took additional time to refine. As far as theme, the band notes there is no overarching concept. The great thing about this is we don't get a pile of lectures about the state of the world or esoteric shamanistic subtext. Just hard driving Metal.

The album leaps to life with "No Sun" featuring an opening riff reminiscent of an amped up "Toys in the Attic." This is one of the best tracks on the album. The bass breaks are absolutely energizing. There are some interesting Psych flourishes and the dual vocal harmonies of Andreas and Andreas and are notable. A stellar track that sets a great tone for the rest of the album. "Killing Time," track two, takes on slightly harsher vocals though there are plenty of melodic elements throughout reminding you that the band is indeed from Sweden. These two tracks pretty much set the full tone of the full album.

There are really no surprises or hyper distinctive tracks. I mean, all the tracks are good, but they are consistently even keeled. Best tracks are the aforementioned "No Sun" and "Killing Time." Next on my list would probably be "Pray for More" which is also one of the longer tracks. There is some nice play with the tempo and phrasing, lending an epic vibe to the track and making it the perfect closer for the album.

Regrets? I could have used at least one more track on the album. Thirty-three minutes felt a bit a short . . . and it has been four years since the last release. Okay, I guess there was a plague and some other pardonable disruptions along the way, so I shouldn't complain. Altogether, a formidable effort keeping this long running band relevant and center stage.