Dr Music review of "Fate is Your Muse" Devil To Pay - Fate Is Your Muse There are some genres that are very limited or have very small congregations, and “stoner rock” is one of them. Bands like Trouble and Kyuss are some of the earliest pioneers of this brooding subgenre of metal. Those bands laid the groundwork and only a few significant acts have tread that path since then. When hardcore punk band Corrosion Of Conformity added singer/guitarist Pepper Keenan to their lineup in 1991, they quickly became one of the best stoner bands on the scene. Also, in the early 90‘s, the Seattle scene gave birth to a few notable bands like Soundgarden and Monster Magnet that hit upon the sound pretty well. C.O.C. has since changed their style once again, Soundgarden has turned a bit radio friendly, and the presence of great stoner rock or doom metal still remains very limited. Enter Devil To Pay..... Devil To Pay has captured the true spirit of stoner rock with their current album, Fate Is Your Muse, released through Ripple Music. The sound that defines stoner rock is usually a slow, sledgehammer riff backed by a strong male vocal. Devil To Pay puts all that to work and more. Singer/guitarist Steve Janiak has the perfect voice for the genre. His voice jumps off the CD like a clenched fist, complimenting the dark rhythms that stomp around behind him. Those stomping rhythms are provided by guitarist Rob Hough, bassist Matt Stokes, and drummer Chad Prifogle. They are a tight unit that brings a Sabbath-like heaviness that is needed for success. But, getting the heavy sound is only half the battle with this music. A good stoner band needs to be able to bring hook and harmony into their music without letting it go soft, and that’s where Devil To Pay really excels. The vocal layering in songs like “Wearin’ You Down” and “Yes Master” are very well done, with the latter reminiscent of Alice In Chains at its very best. Some of these riffs have great harmonic tone as well. I found myself recalling the riffs from songs like “Already Dead” and "Savonarola” in my head throughout the day. This is catchy stuff, but a sound that retains every ounce of its metal integrity. This is real music. You can tell that this Indianapolis quartet was raised with the classic sounds of Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Sabbath. They come across as a group of seasoned professionals with intelligent lyrics and strong song structure. It’s nice to know that there is a band like Devil To Pay out there, with a passionate old school integrity, ready to carry stoner rock into the future.