No one can listen to every single band in the world. There's only so much time in the day, and some of those hours need to be spent without headphones on (go away, meetings. No one likes you). That's my way of saying that I had never listened to Devil Master before the release of their new album, Bloody Dreams. Which, it turns out, was a pretty big oversight on my part. 

Bloody Dreams is the third proper album by the Philadelphia-based Devil Master. I'll have to admit a personal failing here - sometimes I'll make an assumption about a band based on the name, cover art, or what have you. I assumed that Devil Master was straightforward black metal, which doesn't interest me that much. I do like black metal, but mostly when mixed with other influences. Had I known that Devil Master was bringing a lot of other musical styles to the table, I would have checked them out long ago. There's a lot in the mix here: punk, hardcore, goth, folk, rock, thrash, even a bit of glam rock. 

Bloody Dreams is a breezy affair - even with with the epic final track "Farewell Waltz to Unfortune's Palace" clocking in at nearly 11 minutes, the whole album is only about a half hour long. Even so, there's a lot packed into those 30 minutes. "Farewell Waltz" in particular blends many of the band's influences - the band's promo materials discuss the folk aspects a great deal, and they come through most strongly on this track thanks to some ethereal flute. The title track "Bloody Dreams" has a funky, punky swagger and guitar hero theatrics wrapped in a black-as-midnight goth robe. "Sex with Succubus" is a hardcore ripper with a catchy glam rock hook. 

As I admitted above, I had certain assumptions about Devil Master. Looking at the "fleshy portal to a dimension of pain and suffering" artwork of the cover, I never would have guessed just how damn fun this album would be. Bloody Dreams is heavy and fast, sure. It's also catchy and energizing, an album begging to be played at maximum volume. Make sure you have a copy ready to go for your next Halloween party. 

Devil Master's Bloody Dreams is out September 4 via Relapse.