DEDCHIMP’s “DEVOUR” is a dark and confrontational industrial alternative song based on thick guitars, electronic textures, distorted sounds and unprocessed vocals. It lies somewhere between industrial music, alternative metal, goth and dark electronic music, producing an uncomfortable atmosphere without fully fitting into any one of these genres. Although the heavier elements are present there is a clear emphasis on songwriting and melody, which gives the song a sense of direction as it looks at humanity’s increasing desire for consumption, power and destruction.
The concept of consumption goes well beyond physical resources in this context. “DEVOUR” examines the way in which people consume information, technology and attention, as well as looking at how society can consume one another. The song depicts a world that is trapped in a cycle of always wanting more while at the same time damaging the things it relies on. Instead of providing a solution or acting as a simple political statement, DEDCHIMP adopts the role of an observer and reflects these contradictions back to the listener.
The viewpoint takes on a more personal tone when it is admitted that the observer is also involved in the problem. DEDCHIMP refers to “DEVOUR” as a confession, acknowledging his own role in pursuing careers, money and possessions while at the same time realising the wider consequences of such pursuits. This imparts on the song an extra dimension beyond its observation of modern life. The aggressive character of the music comes from the industrial electronics and the heavy guitars, while the melodic features keep the song linked to the human conflict underlying its subject.
“DEVOUR” also shows a clear contrast between noise and reflection; the distorted textures and the darker atmosphere give rise to a feeling of discomfort, yet the underlying melody stops the track from becoming entirely harsh. Although Nine Inch Nails, HEALTH, Deftones and Linkin Park are cited as influences in the project’s sound, the song makes use of these references as part of a wider mix of electronic, heavy and melodic elements. Since it is DEDCHIMP’s first chapter, “DEVOUR” presents a world that is preoccupied with power, technology, belief and human behaviour, prompting the listener to think about precisely what is being consumed and what is being lost as a result.
