SONG REVIEW: Arsenic Kitchen - “Devil’s Advocate”

by Jesse James Smith

Words can not describe how excited I am that the greatest time of year is back. Christmas may have coined that slogan, but we all know Spooky Season is what we all wait for every year (Although for some of us it’s 365). To celebrate, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to highlight a band that embodies the spirit of the macabre. Lucky for us, that band has just released a new song! Arsenic Kitchen from Arizona is back with a brand new track titled ‘Devil’s Advocate’ accompanied with a music video that perfectly fits the vibe. 

If you are a fan of bands like Ice Nine Kills and other acts that are on the theatrical side, you will vibe with Arsenic Kitchen. With such a unique band name, they have a lot to live up to. The band’s style is a blend of Ice Nine Kills and Coheed & Cambria and you can feel both influences oozing out of their music, which I personally love. This song in particular I heard a lot of C&C influenced vocals and melodies. Musically they are keeping the nostalgic approach with the emo revival but this also leans into the traditional emo sound with how the guitar tones sound and even the intro with the stop and go’s are classic emo staples. What stands out the most is the vocals. Not just in the mix itself but also in presence and power. Singing with emotion and heart is the way to really connect with your audience and vocalist Lucas Fulmer did just that. 

To get the full picture of Arsenic Kitchen you have to also look at their image and content. Like I said, this single is accompanied by a music video that takes a look into their theatrical imagery. This video is loosely based on the movie “Beetlejuice” which is where their upcoming EP’s name originates from “Handbook For the Recently Deceased”. The video is a great addition to the full picture that is Arsenic Kitchen and their vision for their music, and dropping this at the start of the season was a great kick off to the best time of year.