Ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Singer HOWARD JONES' DEVIL YOU KNOW: 'The Beauty Of Destruction' First-Week Sales Revealed

"The Beauty Of Destruction", the debut album from DEVIL YOU KNOW, the creative union of Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE),Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and John Sankey (DEVOLVED),sold around 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 45 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Beauty Of Destruction" was released on both physical and digital formats on April 25 in Europe and April 29 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by Logan Mader (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GOJIRA, DEVILDRIVER, SOULFLY) and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SOULFLY). Artwork for the album was created by noted painter and illustrator Travis Smith (OPETH, DEVIN TOWNSEND).

"When Travis Smith presented us with the initial sketches we were blown away,” commented Jones. “He captured the concept of the album perfectly. It’s hugely different than anything that’s out there and will be immediately recognizable as DEVIL YOU KNOW."

"The Beauty Of Destruction" track listing:

01. A New Beginning
02. My Own
03. Embracing The Torture
04. For The Dead And Broken
05. Seven Years Alone
06. It's Over
07. A Mind Insane
08. Crawl From The Dark
09. The Killer
10. I Am The Nothing
11. Shut It Down
12. As Bright As The Darkness
13. Sacrifice (bonus track - vinyl LP only)

The official lyric video for the song "A New Beginning" can be seen below.

As previously reported, DEVIL YOU KNOW is supporting BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on this year's Revolver Golden Gods Tour, which kicked off on April 16 in Portland and will wrap up on June 7 in Los Angeles. Also appearing on the bill is DOWN.

DEVIL YOU KNOW's touring lineup is completed by guitarist Roy Lev-Ari and BLEEDING THROUGH bassist Ryan Wombacher.

DEVIL YOU KNOW made its live debut on February 15 at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California. The group also took part in the 2014 edition of Australia's Soundwave Festival.

DEVIL YOU KNOW was born out of Artusato and Sankey's creative quest to stretch beyond their extreme metal backgrounds. The two had written over a dozen songs before even attempting to lock down a singer. "We were unsure if Howard would be interested," said Sankey." Yet, when KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's former frontman received the material, a creative ideal began to solidify.

Finally connecting in Los Angeles during the last months of 2012, a highly distinctive sound began to become apparent. "It turned from bare-bones musical ideas into something that surpassed any of our expectations," said Jones. "It went from something we thought was going to be a fun, heavy project into something very real." It was during a recording session at the start of 2013 with producer and former MACHINE HEAD and SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader that DEVIL YOU KNOW's ideas began to alchemize into something none of the bands members would ever expect. "It became a departure from what I'm known for," said Artusato. "I wasn't focusing on technical guitar parts (even though I still love that aspect of writing) but simply on writing what felt best for each individual song."

The writing and recording process for DEVIL YOU KNOW's debut album "was surprisingly easy," stated Artusato. "When we get together it just works." The band is also quick to sum up the studio vibe with producer Mader as "intensely creative," said Sankey. "Logan definitely helped us realize and define the DEVIL YOU KNOW sound." Jones agreed: "He went from producer, to unsung member, to friend."

"It's a different style of music for me," said Jones of DEVIL YOU KNOW's unique sound. "It's heavy as anything any of us are known for but I get to do some different things people won't expect. I've been singing almost all my life. Being around good songwriters and musicians in my former bands really helped mold me into who I am now."

"A New Beginning" lyric video:

"Seven Years Alone" video: