Getting Possesed with VCTMS "Devil's/Speak"
Illinois band VCTMS has a long roster of unbelievably good collabs, from “snuff.tape” featuring Paleface Swiss to “The Hurt Collection” featuring Kalie Wolf of Rivals, their ability to seamlessly blend their sound with others is probably one of VCTMS’ greatest strengths. They’ve put that skill to use again with their latest release “Devil’s/Speak” featuring Nathan Johnson of Fox Lake. This metalcore-numetal blend hits all the right notes of being an instant crowd pleaser track.
Listen to “Devil’s/Speak” here
“Devil’s/Speak” is THE callout track for that breakup. The lyrics are all those haunting thoughts you have once things are over. “Was any of it real?”, “Was it something about me?”, “Was everything a lie?” The fires of rage that seem to never go out, simmering below the surface no matter how much time passes. It’s cathartic to sing when you’re still full of that resentment.The song feels like a curse, a final “fuck you” to someone who held your heart in their hands before shamelessly crushing it. More interesting is the fact that through all that hate, and rage, and resentment, there’s still that admission of “The sad part is I could never hate you. After everything I still forgave you” that vulnerable admission falling through cracked ribs. It’s an admission of weakness that you don’t often find in these kinds of aggressive post-relationship songs. The fact that clearly you still care.
Instrumentally this song never truly slows down. It opens with a rhythm that pulsates in your ears. That heartbeat-like sound quickly gave way to thrashing guitar. From there it's rapid-fire drums, screeching guitar, and that thudding bass. There are explosive drops between the verses that shake your bones. Then the fun inclusion of a record scratching breakdown brings in a satisfying break in the sound. It's intense but in a way that builds so well that you still want to move without getting whiplash (from the vibe, headbangers, best of luck) and feeling like it's two songs just mashed into one.
Watch the music video for “Devil’s/Speak” below:
The music video to “Devil’s/Speak” is as dark and gritty as the song. Largely in black and white with the rare inclusion of washed out color. The way things are blurred mid movement makes it all seem like some disjointed memory. While it's simplistic in terms of base action (each member of the band is shown playing alone in a black room) the way the effects and movement was done provides solid storytelling on its own. It has the classic beauty of an old school horror film, where the plot is all mental anguish and psychological thriller.
VCTMS continues to collect fantastic collaborators throughout their career. Their own versatility and fire always shines through. If you haven't heard “Devil’s/Speak” give it a spin, or be like me and put on their whole discography for a nice jam session.