What a strange, fuzz-drenched trip this boy-girl duo from Naples in Italy take us on. The Devils are as basic as rock and roll comes, playing music that’s stripped barer than a Christmas leg ham in a tankful of piranha.
The story goes that Voodoo Rhythm honcho Beat-Man was in the same French studio as The Devils when Jim Diamond was recording this, their first album. It was love at first listen and Beat-Man had a pen and a contract in their hands quicker than you can say: “Fuck me, that shit sounds distorted.”
The Devils are but two in number; Channi Vessella plays guitar and sings while Erica Toraldo handles drums and wailing vocals. Did we mention they dress as a preacher and a nun when they play?
Now it’s often said that fuzz pedals hide a multitude of sins and if that’s true then Vessella must have committed enough mortal sin to keep him chanting “Hail Mary” 24/7. It’s a massive wall of distortion he builds and Sister Erica provides the sort of lift-off that would do The Flying Nun proud. She really is a Mother Superior fucker of a drummer.
The 10 songs are short. They’re over in three shakes of a religious artefact. With titles like “Coitus Interrupts (From a Priest)”, “Drunk Town” and “Shaking Satan’s Balls”, none of them are lyrically deep. You might even say Shallow Be Thy Name. Then again, you might not be as quick as me with a pun.
Low brow? This is trash music for trash people that makes The Gories sound polished. If that's your bag, you’d do well to get down and dirty with them.
1/2
