Black Pearle manage to fit their seamless mixture of hard rock, psychedelia, metal, punk and power-pop into the tight space of a 3-song (15-minute) demo, entitled “Devils”. “Devils” rocks hard but is just as melodic and catchy as anything pop - all without sounding bubble-gum or wannabe.

So many good things to say about this band but the first thing that caught my attention was the guitar tone. For the most part, that tone combines the edgy distortion of heavy metal guitar with the "whoosh" of, say, a jet plane flying past you (known among us guitarists as a flanger). As a result, their guitarist can coax a wide range of emotion, trippy or aggressive, from that tone alone. But he also knows when to switch to a clean and jangly-sounding guitar tone on the quieter sections, which really gives their singer a chance to switch from belting out her lyrics in a moderately aggressive, soulful style to a smoother melodic tone.

The singer is at her best when she holds a note and lets it resonate for a couple of seconds, which she does throughout the CD, especially during “Mystical Voices.” I can hear some Pat Benetar in her voice, a little bit of Nancy Wilson (Heart) and occasionally the nasal wailing of Delores O’ Riordan of the Cranberries during the louder moments. Whatever the music demands, be it a velvety smooth or a slightly edgy voice, she’s got it.

The drums and bass have an understated presence on the demo, exercising discipline over flash - the sign of a true musician. They hammer out a solid groove which allows the guitars and vocals to put Black Pearle’s best foot forward.

“Devils” is a promising sign of things to come from Black Pearle. Looking forward to their album.