The Devil Wears Prada - Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (20th Anniversary) [Green Clear Splatter]

Twenty years after it first introduced The Devil Wears Prada, Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord returns as a 20th anniversary pressing on green and clear splatter vinyl.

The 2006 debut found the Dayton, Ohio group re-recording songs from their Patterns of a Horizon demo and adding two new ones, all under the guidance of producer Joey Sturgis at The Foundation in Connersville, Indiana. Issued through Rise Records, it introduced a band that paired crushing metalcore with Christian conviction and a sense of humour that would soon become their calling card.

What stands out now is the texture. Keyboards that borrow from European symphonic metal sweep beneath the breakdowns, Mike Hranica's lyrics carry real weight, and emo-tinged clean vocals cut through the chaos. Texas Is South and Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over, the two fresh songs written for the album, show the band's growing confidence, while Swords, Dragons & Diet Coke delivers exactly the kind of absurd title fans would come to expect. Salvation closes the record.

Few debuts from that scene have aged with this much affection attached. For anyone who first heard it on a burned CD or at a crowded basement show, this anniversary edition is a fine way to revisit where it all began.