Now that the album has been officially released to the world, we can give our own album reviews. Give your opinion on the new album here!

After listening to the album a few times and letting it grow on me, this is my review.

1. You Think You Know - I think this is a killer album opener. It speaks a powerful message, but vocally it could have been more menacing in my opinion. It bears resemblance to the Disturbed track, "warrior" in how David delivers. Still, an easy song to headbang to. 6/10

2. Penance - Easily the best and most unique track on the album. It goes very much into the "Manson" realm of vocal delivery but with a heavier feel. Classic David growl in the opener. The lyrics are dark and uses imagery very well. Love the breakdown. 10/10

3. Vilify - The first single off the album and boy does it deliver. It kicks off like a freight train, but takes an immediate halt as David begins the first verse. The chorus is catchy and heavy, but the breakdown could have had a little more time spent on it. Instrumentally strong, lyrically weak. Overall, good song for the haters. 7/10.

4. Close my eyes forever - For a cover song, it does its job. It will never outdo the original though. Lzzy performs this song masterfully, she has such a sexy voice. One of, if not the, best female vocalist in rock history. David disappointed me here. I know he can hit those high notes but here he kinda falls flat. Lzzy just steals the show. 4/10

5. Out of line - Typical political song. The opening is brutal and David comes out swinging. Easily hear the frustration in his voice. The instrumental groove is easy to fist pump to. Personally, I absolutely hate System Of A Down, but Serj does justice to this song. Their voices mesh extremely well. The rhyme scheme is perfect. 7/10

6. Hunted -In my opinion, with the exception of Haze, from here on the tracks all sound like fillers. Hunted was the track that started the whole Device project. It has much more industrial sounds in it, which I enjoy. The song is great until the bridge and chorus come in. The bottom just falls out. The song is pretty much "The Animal" part II. David is weak in lyrical writing. 6/10

7. Opinion - This song should have been a b-side. It doesnt fit in with the rest of the album again. It's as though David wrote another half of "Out of line" and stuck it into this song. It's the exact same meaning. Instrumentally, it's confusing. Although Morello is a great guitarist, this is far from his best work. The solo rocks though. 2/10

8. War of Lies - This track is absolutely all over the map. It is over layered. Once can make out each layer, it grows on you. The opening electronica reminds you of Optimus Prime transforming from a semi. The chorus is catchy and anthemic, but the rest is just too scattered. Device just missed it on this one. 3/10

9. Haze - Very unique sound. This is a powerful song. Although David has already done a song about concert experience (Ten Thousand Fists), this song is like it's younger brother. The chorus is very Disturbed like and the duet with M. Shadows is perfect. The "whispering" breakdown David does is maniacal as ever. Should've been the second single. 8/10

10. Through it all - Did not impress me at all. For a love song for his wife, I expected something much more emotional and powerful from David. The opening is impressive but the song too an immediate left turn for the worse at 2:40. It caught me totally off guard and turned me off from the song. 3/10

11. Wish - For an old Nine Inch Nails cover, Device nailed it. I wish David took notes from this song and grabbed influence from it. The power and ferocity is perfect in this song, unlike the rest of the album. 9/10

12. A part of me - A perfect b-side. This song obviously grabs it's roots from Ministry. It's an industrial punk/thrash song and David does an excellent job. It's a new side we haven't seen from him, but I think he should stick to his melodic comfort zone. He sounds like he is pushing his voice too far and the rasp his giving him pain. 6/10

13. Recover - This song should have replaced "Opinion". It's a great song, and it would have been the mellower the album needed. It mimics "through it all" in vocal delivery but it has much more thrust behind it. Finally, a guitar solo on the album that is not done by a guest artist. I was beginning to think David was pulling a page from Disturbed and saying "Our debut album should feature no solos, even though we are capable". No need for it to be a b-side. If Device does a sophomore album, I'd hope they lean more in this song's direction. Its a perfect mix of industrial and guitar driven instrumentals. 7/10

Device - Overall I give the alum 6/10. It definitely has it's rocking moments, but I anticipated much more. It's like Device took a deep breath in some songs, but forgot to exhale. There's a lot they just overshot and missed. It's obvious that even though David is a legendary vocalist, he is not his best without Disturbed. The hype for the new album bit off more than it could chew. I think Device will be one of those bands that is much more exciting to see live than to just listen to the album. I cant wait to see what the live shows look like and how David performs with the new band.

Eh. Why not.

"You Think You Know" - Opens up reliably enough. Guitar riff is reliable but not special. Guitar tone doesn't have much flavor. Rhythm is dictated purely by David's vocals, to poor effect. In the verse, his staccato ranting ranges from not audible to averagely delivered. Obvious that he did this in multiple takes, too. Just kind of lacking in power, but still passes anyways. The chorus is weak, as the rhythm (the song's strength, despite the otherwise poor vocals) is gone, as David goes for a legato delivery. His vocal tone is sweet, but it makes the piece feel disjointed. It's also just not very interesting. The song goes back to another verse - nearly identical, save for the lyrics. Here's a nitpick I have when comparing David to other writers: where David goes for the same melody and rhyme scheme typically when doing verses, other writers switch that up. The song goes on to a really, really weak (and thankfully brief) bridge section, which really is mislabeled here, as it simply functions as a passage to another round of the chorus. It's hardly its own section. Anyways, the song is structurally uninteresting too. That same "staccato verse-legato chorus-staccato verse-legato chorus-brief bridge-chorus-chorus-slightly differently chorus" structure we heard so often from Disturbed is here too. In fact, the song largely reminds me of a mediocre Disturbed song. 4/10.

"Penance" - This piece starts off with a cool as funk creepy electro sound and some staticky sounds to great effect. And then this beefy, dark guitar riff rolls through and stomps on us. It's pretty damn good. David enters soon enough, with smooth, lower register vocals. They're not staccato, for once. It sounds like actual singing, not his "rhythm speak" that he likes to do. The lyrics are full of dark imagery - "A botticellean angel"/"A fairly simple gesture shrouded in evil"/etc. It's great. The chorus comes in and just flies. It knows what to do with itself. The strength is in the vocals here, and mostly in contrast and power. Where the verses are mostly restrained and dropped down vocals, David switches to a higher pitch for the chorus and makes it about redemption instead of darkness. It creates a nice contrast in both delivery and in just mood that compliments the song well. We go back to the verse, and the guitar just proves intoxicating in conjunction with David's seductive delivery and dark lyrics. "The only way I'll be saved is if someone breaks into my grave" is really powerful. Another powerful chorus follows. Not much to say about that. Then the bridge immediately follows, and knows exactly what it needs to do. It's rhythmic and repetitive and powerful, to great effect here, and it's brief in the right way. And then a few more choruses follow. Structurally, snooze. But also not. This song proves that you can stick to tired structures if you liven them up with great instrumentals and amazing contrasts between sections, and not just as far as dynamics go. Everything from pitch to rhythm should be changed in an interesting way - like it is in this piece - to keep the momentum moving. This is something "You Think You Know" failed to do. It went from boring section to boring section in a way that didn't gel. "Penance" is comparatively brilliant. 7/10.

"Vilify" - Ah, this old bird. I won't say much. It starts with just the guitar riff, which is interesting enough. The "rhythm speak" David does here is more interesting than it was in "You Think You Know", but not by much. He at least mixes it up here and adds interesting lyricism such as "Take another wretched soul on the hell ride". The pre chorus breaks in, and proves interesting in that it builds really nicely to an explosion. An electro sound then gives way to a chorus. A peculiar chorus. I won't call it bad, but I don't think it really works. It's really, really wordy. Again, David did it in separate takes, which really diminishes its power, in my opinion. Additionally, overuse the "As you vilify" kind of makes a mockery of itself. He found an interesting rhythm to put this chorus to, but it needed, desperately, different lyrics and a differently tack on the delivery. It sounds rough in its current form. Anyways, the second verse follows it, and it's mostly uninteresting. Mostly a repeat of the first runthrough, but with less interesting lyrics. Pre chorus is identical. Chorus is identical. Not much to be said there. The bridge breaks through on just a drum beat and basic guitar riff. The vocal delivery isn't that interesting and the lyrics are horrible. He rhymes "inside" with "inside" and "right" with "right". He should know at this point not to rhyme words with themselves. To me, it makes the bridge more humorous than serious. I laugh at that lyricism, I really do. It takes away from the song. It's the easy way out. Another chorus follows the bridge. Not a great song, but not a horrid one. 5/10.

"Close My Eyes Forever" - This piece starts out with bass thumps and then Lzzy Hale breaks in with an amazing vocal. Lyrically, brilliant. As David breaks in, the problem immediately becomes apparent. He and Lzzy don't really fit. She was the right pick for this song, but he really wasn't. He sounds diminished, two-dimensional, and uninteresting compared to Lzzy. The chorus is nothing too special here. It completely lacks the power of the original, and that's mostly down to the programmed drum beats lacking the power of the original, and the two singers not meshing all that well. This pretty much continues throughout the song, without much if any variation at all. David continues sounding weak compared to Lzzy. A small guitar solo incurs partway through. It's nothing all that special, and the programmed snare kind of drowns it out. The song closes out with David muttering "Close your eyes for me..." Oh, how I would love to close my eyes and sleep through this mostly-mediocre song. They shouldn't have even tried this. 3/10.

"Out of Line" - This song starts with schizophrenic, programmed drum beats. It quickly breaks into a beefy guitar riff as David goes "HUAHHH" and "AYYY" at the appropriate moments. A programmed snare drowns out most of the ambiance as David delivers a really focused and brilliant vocal line. The rhyme scheme works really well and the snare punctuates the power perfectly. For once, it doesn't feel like David tries too hard with his delivery. The lyrics are dark and sophisticated and political, and while that's not really my thing, I will concede that it works exceptionally well here. It's not particularly relatable, but David's delivering it with enough conviction for me to believe in him. I appreciate the firm but reserved delivery he is down with here. His voice cuts. The beefy guitar riff breaks up David and Serj's verses. Serj is, by nature, a sophisticated lyricist, so I would actually posit these lyrics to him if I had to guess. Regardless, his voice doesn't mesh well with the Device sound. He ends up sounding kind of frail against the beefy soundscape, and David harmonizes to punctuate a few of his lines, and actually almost ends up overpowering him. Kind of bad form. Either way, the lyrics remain powerful and the delivery remains laser-focused. I'm liking this one. The chorus breaks in, and once again Device demonstrates that it does sometimes utilize a very good sense of contrast. Where the verses and very calculated and very restrained, they pick up the pace for the chorus to great effect. The snare becomes a tom. Vocally, it remains rhythmic, but now it's got this fury to the delivery. The two singers are singing the same thing together, crescendo leading up to the title "You're out of line! You're out of line!!!" The chorus here is beautifully executed and works. Another verse follows and it's not tired yet - still convincing. Just beautiful. David actually creates a highlight when he bellows "Who fucking GAVE YOU THE RIGHT?" It's convincing stuff. Another chorus follows, but they add an additional passage to it this time, making it longer. The rhyme scheme follows suit, but the lyrics are different. This is that shit I like. Beefy guitars follow this chorus, with that snare back. The bridge is peculiar. David is talking while Serj passionately croons. David explodes, Serj fades, and the chorus comes back - Serj bellowing behind it this time, hitting notes David never could. The song closes with that initial beefy guitar riff. It's well-executed. 6/10.

"Hunted" - Opens with dark electro notes, creeping along. Programmed drum beats give off a weird vibe. No guitars here. David breaks in. I like his voice - it's got this gravel to it we haven't heard here before. I can't really make out the lyrics, but I just appreciate the vibe. The electronic sounds are abstract and dark and compliment David pretty well. The chorus breaks in, and pieces of it are extremely well-done, but it overall is really brief and tired. For 10 seconds after the chorus, they wait with just weird electric sounds a bass drum beat sounding this whole time, before David sets it all off again with "Become the animal". I find this peculiar, as this song already had pacing issues. This 10 seconds wasted got me kind of bored, and while it wouldn't be horrible at the beginning of the song, placing it smack in the middle was a strange choice. It destroyed any momentum they built. But I guess that's fine, because they build it right back up in the next verse. David's beautiful gravel continues over a steady rhythm of dark and abstract industrial sounds, but very little in the way of "genuine" instrumentation. Lyrically, the song (verses) is weak. Rhythmically, it's predictable but still pretty strong. The structure is kind of boring, as it's kind of hard to tell where the chorus is before you get there. There isn't a clear transition, but once you hear it, you know it's the chorus. The bridge breaks through, and it's peculiar. Weird electro sounds with David crooning with his upper register in the distance. Peculiar, and not that great here. Pre-chorus comes back, quickly giving way to the chorus. Pretty good syncopation between the vocals and instruments in the chorus, and while the instruments are dark, David's vocal tone remains pretty bright, so it's a nice contrast. Still, David's not particularly powerful, and it's hard to make out what he's saying except "To become the animal". The song ends this way. I don't really like it. I can appreciate what they were trying to do. I just feel they lost their way in the process. This song shows a lot of flashes of brilliance - the abstract electro sounds in the verses perfectly supporting David's dark and gravelly delivery and tone, the near-perfect syncopation between instruments and vocals in the chorus, etc - it just seems to really mishandle itself. A lot of it comes down to structure too. The song doesn't know how to transition its energy right, so it really ends up going nowhere. And that they just completely drop everything in the bridge doesn't help. This song had some of the right ingredients; the cooks just didn't know how to prepare them. 5/10.

"Opinion" - This song starts out with uncharacteristically bright guitar tones, and it continues that way as Device adds all the flashy electro to it. David comes in and demonstrates some of his old weaknesses. His delivery sounds largely similar to things we've already seen in this album. His lyrics are not that easily heard because his delivery is somewhat weak. The chorus breaks through and demonstrates a nice sense of pacing and rhythm. The syncopation is superior even to "Hunted", to be honest. I enjoy it a lot, even though it ultimately goes nowhere. The song breaks back into a chorus. I really actually like how bright the guitars feel in this song. It, compounded with competently rhythmic riffing, creates a stirring energy in the instruments. David follows it with a great rhythmic sense in the verses. I really appreciate his "And again and again and again and again" parts - they show a good sense of progression, and plus are just plain fun. That's something I haven't really sensed in this album yet - a sense of fun. So it's definitely welcome. I know this song is supposed to have a political meaning underpinning it - I can tell that from the chorus - but even though I can't really make out the lyrics in the verses, I can't help but feel like it's a bit tongue-in-cheek. The guitar tone and riffing is energetic and positive, and David follows it along competently. Again, his "And again [...]" parts actually add a sense of levity to this piece that's completely welcome. I really wish I could make out the lyrics so I could actually tell if this song is indeed tongue-in-cheek. If it takes itself too seriously, that's poor form. It doesn't sound like a song that should. Anyways, this verse is again followed by a chorus. Actually, I want to make a note: There is a clear transition (a pre-chorus, if you will) between the passages here, and I completely appreciate that. The song's energy transfers nicely. I thought I should note that, as I noted it negatively in "Hunted". This chorus is exactly like the first. A guitar solo breaks through directly following it, and it's not particularly stellar to be honest. Then David breaks in with a bridge. It's peculiar, actually. I don't know if I think it's bad or good, but it's definitely interesting. Another chorus directly follows, this one layered with more vocal harmonies. And then it repeats. That must mean that I'm near the end. Indeed. The song ends on a chorus. It's pretty decent. 5/10.

"War of Lies" - This starts out with a weird mechanical buzz, quickly followed by a somewhat thin and weak guitar line underpinned by programmed guitars. David quickly enters. He's singing here - not "rhythm speaking" - though his singing borders on very rhythmic here. The contrast between his voice and the guitar is peculiar and not very positive. Eventually the guitar actually tones it down and gives more room to David, and this is actually a good thing. The guitar isn't that great in this song. I just want to note that I count the fourth use of David's "Sanitaaay" in this song. I am just saying. First "Vilify", then "Out of Line", then "Hunted", now this. Eventually the guitar gives way completely, and it makes David sound even stronger. But then the chorus breaks through, and it's completely schizophrenic. The guitars aren't great at all, and David's got two or three different vocal layers going on here, but they're not all singing the same thing, and they're actually drowning each other out. And then the chorus is over. Just like that. Just like it started. Brief and confused. A guitar riff carves a way for another verse quite quickly. This verse is exactly like the first but with different lyrics. David sounds darker in tone and somewhat apathetic. It's actually kind of boring.... Then the horrid chorus comes back, blech. Then it adds on another passage of chorus which isn't needed. Actually, fuck it. I gave this song long enough to hook me, and it actually repulsed me. I'm done with it. Dreadful. 3/10.

"Haze" - Begins with weird electro buzzing, which quickly becomes interesting rhythmic pulses and it's actually quite interesting. The vocals break in. They're really chill and different. They have a creepy edge to them, compliments of M. Shadows. This song isn't technically impressive, but it nails the vibe, and that's really all that's important. It sounds fun, kind of like "Opinion". The delivery and instruments have a measure of levity to them again to break up all the seriousness, and it just works to great effect. It really helps Device when they air out their sound, so to speak. So then the chorus breaks in... And it's really good. It's addictive. It flows really well. The lyrics are intelligent, thoughtful, and addictive. The melody itself soars and is underpinned by a great rhythm section. David actually does some riffing at some parts. It's pretty good. Another verse comes up. M. Shadows is one creepy man. This song works really well for him. I typically find him boring and bland, but he has his moments and this is one of them. The verse is the same as the last, but it's still fun, so why not? The chorus is sung by M. Shadows this time, but it still works. He does everything as well as David, albeit less powerfully. This chorus gives way to a creepy electro rhythm section. David's creepy dark whisper breaks in, extremely rhythmic. Can't make out the lyrics. Really tight. Don't know how I feel about this part. But it's short. Then the chorus comes back, and it still soars. I enjoy it enough. The song ends with a chorus, so that's a high note to me. 6/10.

"Through It All" - Starts with a creepy guitar buzz and some creeping electronic sounds. A drum beat gives the guitar a little bit more room to structure itself. Then it fades. David's slow singing commences. His lyrics are completely understandable here, and I love it. His tone is dark. He's going legato. The rhythm section is capably conducting his voice, almost hypnotically. And his tone is so warm. The pitch fluctuations are nice. Then Glenn Hughes breaks in. He adds something of a measure of creepy to this. But man, can this man ever croon!!! When he intensifies and hits those high notes, he does so ten times more powerfully than David did! It's great. David breaks back in. I can't tell if this song has a chorus, but if it does, that was it. Poor transitions. Everything falls to almost nothing, then builds up to this speedy instrumental part. The drums are furious and prominent. The guitars kind of take a backseat, but this is building to something bigger anyways. A slight pause followed by more of this drum loving. Quite a bit more. Hmm. And it didn't even go anywhere. Right back to the chorus. That's a bit disappointing. Even so, this song proves itself to be mostly strong. Mostly capable of delivering. 6/10.

I'm going to review the bonus tracks tomorrow. It's 4:30 AM here and I am tired. Thanks for allowing me my voice, though. Hope you guys enjoy my track-by-track.

Wow, it's been a reallllyyy long time since I've posted on this forum. o.o
I've
been following Device and any-at-updates since the beginning. I was
really excited to hear some new music from my main man David. However,
after listening to the Device album several times now, I'd have to say
that I'm not all that impressed.

So, here's my review of the album:

1.
"You Think You Know" - My favorite song on the album. It has a pretty
straightforward intro, some decent verses, a fantastic chorus that I
could listen to for hours, and a decent bridge. For the most part, the
song is enjoyable. While it may not be musically impressive, it is a
pretty damn good song at the end of the day. Out of most of the songs on
the CD, this is one of the tracks that easily have ended up on a
Disturbed album. 4.5/5

2. "Penance" - A pretty cool song. The
song's music structure is very similar to 'The Animal', but other than
that, it's a cool song. I really like the chorus; it's dark, powerful
and full of eerie vibes. The bridge is my favorite part of this track;
it's really beast, and David's vocals reminds me of the early days of
Disturbed. I don't think this song is too memorable, but it's pretty
cool at least. I also think David's lyrics are really good in this
particular track. 3.5/5

3. "Vilify" - Being the first single,
it's not too bad of a song. I don't really have any real issues with
this track, except for how many times the chorus is repeated near the
end of the song. It was repeated way too many times (kinda like what
Iron Maiden do on their songs in the 2000's). Other than that, this song
is catchy and it's a great track for a music video, I'd have to say.
Picking this track for the first single was a pretty good decision. I've
heard some people say this song could easily be a b-side from 'Ten
Thousand Fists'. Now, while that may be true in a way, I think this song
is a bit tastier than most tracks you'd find on 'TTF'. 4/5

4.
"Close My Eyes Forever" - The instrumentals are not only very
forgettable and not interesting, but they are actually very lifeless and
mechanical as well. That, along with being mixed with authentic vocal
performances by David and Lzzy Hale, just sounds very bizarre and not
enjoyable whatsoever. It's like this song is half human and half
robotic. I'd have to say that, if Disturbed had recorded this cover
instead of Device, then it would have turned out a lot better, since you
got a full fledged authentic band. However, one thing that saves this
song for me is Lzzy's performance, which I thought was phenomenal. At
the end of the day, this cover by Device just sounds like a half-assed
robotic version that doesn't capture the magic and charm of the Lita
Ford/Ozzy Osbourne classic. 2/5

5. "Out of Line" - First of all, I
don't notice Geezer Butler's bass guitar in this song, at all. With
that being said, Serj and David both sound great on this track. The
lyrics written by David are probably some of the best lyrics he has
written since the 'Ten Thousand Fists' album. And I'd have to say, that I
was pretty damn surprised at how good of a job Serj did. I'm not a big
fan of System of a Down, but Serj sounded excellent on this song.
Instrumentally, this song is once again not impressive or memorable. I'd
say this track is decent at best. 3/5

6. "Hunted" - Kind of a
forgettable song all together; however, the uniqueness and dark vibe
saves this song for me. Sure, this track is basically 'The Animal Part
II", but I think this song is much more original sounding. The lyrics
are actually really beast, and David's vocal delivery is really good.
Instrumentally, this track is probably the most industrial sounding on
the whole entire album, and it doesn't sound too much like a Disturbed
track. 3/5

7. "Opinion" - For a little while, this track was
actually my favorite on the CD. But after a while of listening to it too
many times, I realized that it isn't really all that great. The lyrics
and vocal performance by David are not too bad, just the basics that
you'd hear from him. Tom Morello's guitar solo is too short; plus, I'm
not a big fan of the solo all together. At the end of the day, this
track is only fairy enjoyable, and mostly forgettable. 2.5/5

8.
"War of Lies" - In my honest opinion, this is the worst song on the
album. There is absolutely nothing special about it at all. I have no
idea why or how it ended up on the CD. Any one of the three b-sides
could have EASILY replaced this track. The intro is bizarre, the verses
are boring, the chorus is a total mess, and the bridge is forgettable.
The instrumentals sound like a kid made them, and are very generic.
What a huge disappointment. 0.5/5

9. "Haze" - This song is
actually pretty damn cool. I enjoy listening to it quite a bit. The
groovy industrial feel they got going on in this song is really neat.
While I'm not that big of a fan of Avenged Sevenfold, M. Shadows sounds
really awesome on this track. Overall, this track has a cool and dark
vibe, and the instrumentals are a bit better than most songs you'd find
on this album. 4/5

10. "Through it All" - This song is too long
and repetitive. Most of this song consists of the same part where David
is singing, "When I went through it all, you gave me your heart" and
blah blah blah. The breakdown section is definitely the best part of
this song. But that's not saying much, because it's not really that
impressive, musically that is. Overall, this song doesn't impress me at
all, and Glenn Hughes' performance doesn't really do that much to save
this song. He gets the job done, let's put it that way. 2/5

So overall, this album is pretty mediocre at best. I don't find it impressive, and it's only vaguely enjoyable.
Album Rating: 6/10