deVries – Death To God Album Review

Vee Hua 華婷婷2 min readDecember 16, 2009Add comment

DeVries’ Death To God might be titled like a metalhead’s dream, but nothing can be further from its reality. Beginning with a thirty-second ambient intro track, Death To God then explodes into the immediately engaging “Boys Are Bores,” in which deVries, consisting of former member of The Turn-Ons, Travis DeVries, easily prove that even tracks about hermaphrodites can be taken seriously if you have the right musical chops to create them with. A catchy guitar introduction and low-key vocals easily render “Boys Are Bores” one of the best tracks on the album — an early highlight that is not the only highlight, but certainly one of the most notable.

DeVries draws comparisons to Brit-pop bands such as The Stone Roses, and they’re not far-fetched comparisons. ’60s-style guitarwork is present on this album, along with fabulously airy vocals. However, unlike the aforementioned bands, deVries have an updated indie rock sound, featuring more crisp production and mastering, courtesy of Erik Blood (The Moondoggies, Tea Cozies) and Kramer (Low, Sufjan Stevens).

But enough name-dropping, because the simple fact is that that Death To God is an album that’s simply, well, pleasant. Light, airy shoegaze textures are commonplace, and ethereal vocals bridge the gaps in-between. Death To God exemplifies its subgenre well, adding in lyrical twists as highlights, but ultimately, it’s a subgenre without much room for breaking new ground. So, despite a solid album, exposure is the key.

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Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and artist who splits their time between Oaxaca, Mexico, and Seattle, Washington. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Editor-in-Chief of International Examiner, and an Environmental Justice reporter at South Seattle Emerald. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Their latest short film, Reckless Spirits (2022), is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy; the feature film version is slated for production in 2026. In 2025, they premiere their documentary short film, Hunt's Trading Post, set just outside of the Navajo and Ute Nations.

In 2017, Vee released the narrative short film, Searching Skies — which touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States — and co-organized The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!. They have a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota and are pursuing a certificate in Incidencias en Problemas Socioambientales at the Universidad del Medio Ambiente in Mexico.

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