Angels and Devils

The Bug - Angels and Devils
Critic Score
Based on 26 reviews
2014 Ratings: #59 / 1042
Year End Rank: #27
User Score
Based on 100 ratings
2014 Rank: #433
Liked by 3 people
August 25, 2014 / Release Date
LP / Format
Ninja Tune / Label
UK Bass, Grime / Genre
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

100
AllMusic

Angels & Devils contains none of the Acid Ragga material, and neither KMS partner is involved. Even so, there's continuity and gradual evolution that can be traced back several years through Martin's output.

90
Drowned in Sound

Despite the dualistic structure of Angels & Devils, the album’s two halves are never in opposition to one another; its vocalists all equally damned, equally resilient to their fate.

90
Resident Advisor

Angels & Devils marks an evolution of the sound that made London Zoo a classic.

90
The Line of Best Fit

Angels & Devils does such a stellar job of blending the old and the new, and has the stones to shove Martin’s sinuous new ideas to the forefront. It’s that courage and singularity of vision that makes The Bug stand triumphantly apart.

90
Exclaim!

Angels & Devils dwarfs its acclaimed predecessor, as it does almost everything else released in the electronic music genre this year.

90
Clash

That all one can do is let the album play through again, though, is indicative of the great power this exhibition of completely engrossing, electrifyingly ambitious avant-dance(hall) possesses.

80
Q Magazine
It's one still stamped with his own sound, a sonic approach that, even at its most drowsy, threatens to blow the walls down.
80
Record Collector
Some will rhapsodise about the songs of angels, while others will feel that the most dangerous and angry superbug mutations are still found in the filthiest, most chaotic places.
80
Mojo

Those attuned to the harsh aspects of existence, who despair at the forces shaping the world, won't find any answers as such, but Angels & Devils' blend of fever dreams and corporeal nightmare articulates the confusion beautifully and brutally.

80
Uncut
Martin continues to brew new hybrids of dystopian dub reggae, industrial noise and experimental hip-hop.
80
The Skinny

On Angels & Devils, Kevin Martin pushes farther and harder than ever before – and it's his strangest ideas which beguile the most.

80
musicOMH

The long awaited return by The Bug is certainly a difficult listen but it’s not impenetrable. Instead, it’s the sort of music that demands your attention and you can’t help but become enraptured by it.

78
Sputnikmusic

Angels and Devils is an album inextricable from intense, looming, pounding despair, and no matter how far away Martin manages to pull himself the blackness always comes back.

70
Under the Radar

The angels side earns its name via slow-burning, lush, and dubbed-out numbers ... [The devil side] is where London Zoo fans will find their long-awaited fix, deep within the hard-hitting beats, chest-shaking bass synths, skittering hi-hats, and violent dystopian vision that makes that album hold up so well.

70
NME

It’s an impressive display, but the contrast between the two sides is so vast they could easily be two different records.

67
Pretty Much Amazing

Short of their obvious opposition, there is little here in the way of meaningful tension between the Angels & Devils.

67
Consequence of Sound

Sure, there are a few moments where the record doesn’t maintain the highs it reaches throughout, but it’s still a relatively enjoyable album front to back. Each track makes its presence essential to the record’s narrative, even if it’s not a memorable moment on its own. 

67
Pitchfork

When the tempo and aggression are dialed back, the dynamic turns; Martin’s still a talented sound designer, but the whipping, centrifugal force that binds his tracks together is missing. That force is largely absent for the first six songs of Angels & Devils, and the album is trying as a result.

60
The Needle Drop
The Bug delivers a new album that reads more like two decent EPs.
ozzg
65

"Angles & Devils" is an album released by The Bug and I personally think it is a strange album. In most of the songs, it's like the singers are venting their anger, and I like that. For example, in the song "Fuck You", Warrior Queen,she seem to spit hatred, but there is an unknown feeling in the song. However, the song's effects, flows and delivery are very nice. I especially liked the song "Fuck a Bitch". Death Grips sang it very well, they fit the style of ... read more

Z.Younk
50

Total piece of shit compared to London Zoo.

CheapandLethal
65

Better stuff out there

Azzy
74

one album from every aoty album #82 Grime
favs: Fall, Ascension, Mi Lost, The One, Function (⭐), Fuck a Bitch (⭐), Fat Mac, Fuck You (⭐), Dirty
likes: Void, Pandi, Save Me

ozzg
65

"Angles & Devils" is an album released by The Bug and I personally think it is a strange album. In most of the songs, it's like the singers are venting their anger, and I like that. For example, in the song "Fuck You", Warrior Queen,she seem to spit hatred, but there is an unknown feeling in the song. However, the song's effects, flows and delivery are very nice. I especially liked the song "Fuck a Bitch". Death Grips sang it very well, they fit the style of ... read more

SJCTurntable
37

Kevin Martin maintains his dark introspective on this follow-up to ‘London Zoo’. Yet, stylistically, moves away from a pure focus on dubstep, certainly at the beginning of the album. The sole standout tracks, ‘Fall’ has him collaborate with Russian-born fellow experimental electronica musician and singer, Inca Copeland’ to mine territory more familiar to Portishead. As the title of the album suggests, an ethereal first half gives way to more martial and intense ... read more

Purchasing Angels and Devils from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

1Void
3:48
45
2Fall
2:55
65
3Ascension
3:48
65
4Mi Lost
3:15
feat. Miss Red
75
5Pandi
4:57
60
6Save Me
5:32
feat. Gonjasufi
65
7The One
4:32
feat. Flowdan
70
8Function
5:25
55
9Fuck a Bitch
3:04
92
10Fat Mac
3:17
feat. Flowdan
80
11Fuck You
3:51
80
12Dirty
2:56
feat. Flowdan
75
Total Length: 47 minutes
Sign in to comment
3w
7mo
7mo
7mo


Added on: June 12, 2014