The darkest, filthiest alleys of old Philadelphia, Devil Master arise once more to corrupt the children of light with their new album, Bloody Dreams. The years after Ecstasies of Never Ending Night (2022), an album Metal Forces said “chills the bones,” have been restless. The group’s hearse bustled through America on the Decibel Magazine Tour; they haunted Europe’s chapels; and then Devil Master stole souls at Decibel Magazine’s Metal & Beer Fest: Philly. Turns out, the quartet has also been busy writing more grit-laden, gothic hymns to the Horned One while we were sleeping.

“The etymology of the word ‘gothic’ is from the Gothic tribes,” says Darkest Prince, setting the scene for what came before and inevitably with Bloody Dreams. “They were called barbaric. Eventually, that word settled into cathedrals, which people thought looked horrific. Literature took its name from the architecture [of the day]. Gothic resides in the world of dreams. And where there is darkness and demons, there is the divine hiding somewhere. There is no shadow without light. We are reminded of the etymology of terrific and awesome and the concepts of the sublime and numinous. This record is designed to arouse these same feelings so one is inspired with the divine spark of hope after these sneaky travels through the abyss!”

Newcomers to Devil Master are urged to feel the presence of Darkest Prince’s words. They’re encouraged to let go of modern constructs, of life framed by “information everywhere,” to set foot in and breathe the otherworld of Prince invoking Baudelaire, Ducasse, et al. Musically, Devil Master peel back the layers of black metal and punk, finding the root of evil in folk music. Indeed, a casual ear towards “Black Flame Candle” and “Devil Is Your Master” (both from 2019’s Satan Spits on Children of Light), as well as “The Vigour of Evil” and “Acid Black Mass” (both from Ecstasies of Never Ending Night) will hear upbeats, repetition, and occasionally, hope. Since forming in 2015, the crux of Devil Master has been blurring the lines between dark and light, misery and aspiration.

“The only thing I'm inspired by is Greek and Andean folk music, as well as Cumbia,” Darkest Prince effuses. “Folk is eternal. I think that resonates with people. It’s been cultivated forever. It’s archetypal, primal. It taps into something across cultures. W. B. Yeats, the Irish poetic/occultist, is my favorite poet, and he described folk music as proud and lonely. That’s always resonated with me. OK, I still listen to a lot of G.I.S.M., Bathory, and Vlad Tepes—bands I’ve liked for a very long time—but that’s about as metal as I get. So, there’s folk music and punk in us, and there’s also a lot of psychedelic influence, too. So, we’re kind of in our own league.”

Bloody Dreams is uniquely Devil Master. From lead single “You Worms' Vain Delusions” to “Death Anthem” and “Sex with Succubus” to decaying bonnet of “Farewell Waltz to Unfortune's Palace,” the Philadelphians haven’t shied away from the ghastly, boot-tapping spectacle they’ve ushered without permission into our unreality. Written entirely by Darkest Prince between the vellichor pages of decadence and time’s cruel hand, it’s an album that deceives. Up front, Bloody Dreams rages, mohawks and pale skin thumbing through the detritus of 17th-century graveyards. As it matures, it devolves, splaying minds into absinthe-laced psychosis and the untidiest of silhouettes.

“Our aesthetic with this record is so over the top,” says Darkest Prince. “The songs are unhinged, especially as it gets towards the end. They’re obviously more punky, a little bit more psychedelic, too. The artwork is by a friend of mine, Paul Barton, who was the first person I ever spoke with about black magic and the astral world. It’s an honor to work with him. The piece we have is called ‘Vampyric Oracle.’ We also hired my friend from Nohz, a French blackened-punk band. He’s a talented artist, similar to Edward Gorey.”

For the production, Devil Master parked the horses at a friend’s house and at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia with budding engineer Davis M. Shubs and Grammy-nominated engineer Eric Bogacz to put Bloody Dreams to tape. They were ensconced between the coldest months of last and this year, soundstaging their six-track scapegrace to appear as an eyes-wide, claws-out experience. The whole bell-sleeved, unwashed affair was electrified into its final form by friend and mastering ace Arthur Rizk.

“We recorded the drums before Christmas,” Darkest Prince offers, slippery about more studio details. “Then, I had to work on solos and write lyrics. So, we finished the rest of it in February.”

As Devil Master look outside their Brotherly Love hovel, they see Bloody Dreams, replete with guests like Mirai Kawashima (Sigh), former drummer Chris Ulsh (Power Trip), and Ur Èmdr Œrvn (Arkha Sva), brandishing black candles, grimoires, and a fuck-off attitude to the delight of their minions the world over. While it may sound like Darkest Prince caught vibes off of Devil Doll and singer-songwriter Yegor Letov, the group’s third album parties darkly and ponders theurgy, a salve for digital overdose and overripe synthetic overtures.

Baudelaire once opined, be drunk. Whether on wine or Devil Master or both, be like him and imbibe heavily… on Bloody Dreams.