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.
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.
Angels & Devils marks an evolution of the sound that made London Zoo a classic.
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.
Angels & Devils dwarfs its acclaimed predecessor, as it does almost everything else released in the electronic music genre this year.
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.
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.
On Angels & Devils, Kevin Martin pushes farther and harder than ever before – and it's his strangest ideas which beguile the most.
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.
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.
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.
It’s an impressive display, but the contrast between the two sides is so vast they could easily be two different records.
Short of their obvious opposition, there is little here in the way of meaningful tension between the Angels & Devils.
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.
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.
"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
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
"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
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
1 | Void 3:48 feat. Liz Harris | 45 |
2 | Fall 2:55 feat. Inga Copeland | 65 |
3 | Ascension 3:48 | 65 |
4 | Mi Lost 3:15 feat. Miss Red | 75 |
5 | Pandi 4:57 | 60 |
6 | Save Me 5:32 feat. Gonjasufi | 65 |
7 | The One 4:32 feat. Flowdan | 70 |
8 | Function 5:25 feat. Manga Saint Hilare | 55 |
9 | Fuck a Bitch 3:04 feat. Death Grips | 92 |
10 | Fat Mac 3:17 feat. Flowdan | 80 |
11 | Fuck You 3:51 feat. Warrior Queen | 80 |
12 | Dirty 2:56 feat. Flowdan | 75 |
#2 | / | Crack Magazine |
#4 | / | Clash |
#5 | / | The Quietus |
#6 | / | Resident Advisor |
#8 | / | Passion of the Weiss |
#10 | / | MOJO |
#16 | / | Dummy |
#16 | / | The Skinny |
#19 | / | The 405 |
#20 | / | FACT Magazine |