Looking to up the ante on their brand of hard rock sleaze, Baltimore's
Charm City Devils return with a bigger and badder sound on their sophomore effort,
Sins. Stepping out of the shadows of
AC/DC,
Charm City Devils explore a heavier, more modern sound on the album, adding a layer of thickness and polish that pushes them more into the world of post-grunge than revivalist hard rock.
Sins finds the band showing more emotional depth, with songs like "Walk Away" and the power ballad "All You'll Ever Need" revealing a more vulnerable side that was hidden away by
Let's Rock-N-Roll's searing rock bravado. With this more modern sound in place,
the Devils take a stab at the nearly 100-year-old traditional tune "Man of Constant Sorrow," updating the folk ballad with chugging guitars and scorching solos as it trudges along like a freight train. While such a big change in their sound might leave fans of their earlier work a bit confused, the more mature sound on
Sins is sure to open
the Devils up to a whole new legion of potential devotees. ~ Gregory Heaney