'Jacket' fills ears nicely

Although the name Full Devil Jacket is a sideways reference to the late Stanley Kubrick, the band itself is an original creation, combining spiritual and psychotic lyrics with heavy guitars and thundering percussion. The result is a unique sound that transcends standard genre classifications.

The band's self-titled debut is a result of years of nonstop touring. From local shows in Jackson, Tennessee to an appearance at Woodstock '99, and most recently during two major tours with heavy metal legends Type O Negative, Full Devil Jacket managed to win over skeptic audiences and build a name for themselves as an energetic touring band.

The album "Full Devil Jacket" is a showcase for the band's stage show, offering a range of sounds and messages while displaying the talented group's musical abilities. Love ballads follow heavy tracks full of angst and religious doubt. Monstrous guitars underscore the heavier songs, while simple acoustics back lighter offerings.

The band's first single, "Stain," is a perfect example of their overall style, adding cryptic vocals to driving guitars and crashing drums in irresistible but puzzling proportions. Many of the songs on "Full Devil Jacket" are similarly intriguing. "Love Song" is easily the heaviest on the album, with a harshly screamed chorus and pounding staccato instruments, but it immediately follows "Monster," the album's softest, most introspective piece. This contrast is common throughout the album, and makes for an odd compilation of tracks.

Full Devil Jacket's inconsistency in sound is both its biggest drawback and one of its strengths. The band has a wide range, which it shows off through the course of its debut album, but the experience of listening to the album is a strange one. Wide variations in style and content make it hard for the listener to find solid footing, and first impressions are not entirely accurate. The music, though, draws the listener in and makes a convincing argument on its own behalf.

With a full album and a fairly successful single under their belts, Full Devil Jacket have moved into the spotlight and are attempting to give a sometimes tired art some much-needed energy. Their self-titled release goes a long way toward accomplishing that goal. On the whole, their debut album shows a great deal of promise, and if the band can focus on particular aspects of their music in future efforts, there is no telling how far they can go.