After recently securing a worldwide distribution deal via WormHoleDeath Records, the Scottish heavy metal band DVL were finally able to release their first labeled album "Hush" this past May 27, 2022. The band, formally known by the name D3VILMAYCRY, were formed in 2012 where most of the members met in college at the Academy of Music and Sound in Glasgow, Scotland. Unfortunately, they suffered from SPINAL TAP's issue of finding a competent drummer for a while before what they called "The One" in Lewis Templeton. They then released their debut album "The Pawn That Took The King" independently in 2013, followed by being nominated for Best Metal Act in 2014 at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards. Over the many years they have been together they have played numerous shows throughout the UK with bands such as IN THIS MOMENT, JINJER, SYLOSIS, ACT OF DEFIANCE, and MAN MUST DIE.

When it came to start recording their follow-up, DVL took much time - beginning way back in 2020 with preliminary recording - to craft the not quite a concept album "Hush". The band worked with their engineer at Titans Lab Recording Studio beginning back in September 2020, but the group had already been demoing all of the songs for over two and a half years before finally going to the Italian studio. Of the album the band says, "We've always had a natural attraction to the darker, more ominous sounds in music and we really leaned into that when we were writing "Hush". This album is like a book of short stories. Not a concept album but each song tells its own individual tale. Musically we take cues from many genres and many artists but our writing is also heavily influenced by other media such as Horror film, comic books and video games." They may sound like separate stories but digging deeper into the lyrics lies a thread in that what pulls all the songs together is individual stories struggling with different facets of mental health.

The biggest endorsement I can give for DVL is if you haven't liked much of what AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been releasing for several years, give "Hush" a try. They've got the same dual lead guitar approach that is very similar to the Huntington Beach, California-based modern heavy metallers and vocalist Ryan Patterson even has a familiar vocals style to him yet seems to display more versatility than M. Shadows ever could. Opener "Among Us" is strong with blast beats and repeating guitar motif that sounds a bit gimmicky, but it grows on you with subsequent listens. They go a bit softer with "Dead Man's Switch" and dig in a bit deeper into the quieter mood with "The Pitch" later on but I wouldn't say it's their strong suit. The latter has some emotional leads but the strained vocals and a heavy-handed verses seems a bit too much while the former has an amazing guitar solo and a heavy chorus but seems a bit to soon to be going so melodic. I did enjoy the heavier vocals featured in "Eternity" and these boys have riffs for days so while it might have a few bumps in the first half, the latter half is all bangers especially the excellent title track as an ender.