Emerging Artist Reviews

Album Review: Raised by Fred and Alice “Devil’s Playground”e

by The Metalverse

Updated October 14, 2026

Raised by Fred and Alice “Devils Playground” Album Review | The Metalverse.net

Wisconsin hard rock act, Raised By Fred and Alice, have just released their latest album “Devil’s Playground”. Shane Loy formed the project after years of playing a five string Gibson Les Paul bass in live bands, with over 2,000 shows under his belt across different bands.

Being a seasoned performing musician, Loy wanted to mix his expertise with live performance into his music, writing songs that are made to sound good in the recording, but also have an electrifying live show.

Raised by Fred and Alice comes from Shane’s major influences throughout his life, Fred Rogers and Alice Cooper. Fred brings a sense of compassion and treating people with respect, while Alice brings theatrics, attitude, and classic rock ‘n’ roll.

The entire album explores themes of temptation, pride, consequence, freedom, and learning to let go. Despite being the newest release “Devil’s Playground” places itself before previous work “L” and “Redemption” in Raised by Fred and Alice’s storyline. The name “Devil’s Playground” conveys a place where our thoughts, desires, and decisions are tested. Some songs have darker narrators and situations with the purpose of bringing those struggles into light.

The album starts with “Bow to Me” which speaks from the perspective of a tempter. It quickly builds a classic rock sound starts solos, dynamic vocals, and chanting create an energetic sound. Bright choirs add a new element to the nostalgic rock ‘n’ roll sound, keeping things interesting. “Gonna Get What I Deserve” is next which as the name suggests, dives into the idea of entitlement. The vocals take on a different tone, with lyrics being intentionally egotistical and having a darker sound. The way the vocals change tone is really interesting, adding a sense of theatrics and acting within the singing, which is a unique idea.

“Paparazzi” starts with clean guitar before introducing electric guitar and soaring vocals as lyrics seem to take a look at modern media and how different organizations can twist headlines to suit their goals and audience, even if it is not the truth. The title track, “Devil’s Playground” starts with rapid hi-hats and electric guitar as vocals remind me of pop-punk before shifting into more aggressive hard rock vocals and darker guitar work. Raised by Fred and Alice, utilizes contrast in a dynamic way blending the hard rock we‘ve heard from the album so far with a new punk influence to create an interesting shift between sections that keeps things fresh.

“Free” begins with slow orchestral strings and ambient clean guitar as vocals kick in with a slight lofi effect, creating a gentle and melancholy sound that slows things down. Soon the vocals lose the filter, jumping in with full clarity as drums join in and things pick up a little, becoming a soft rock song as electric guitar and more energetic vocals are introduced.

“Let Go” brings back the upbeat hard rock sound as darker melodies are used once again, but the lyrics this time focus on forgiveness and self-mercy. The song’s chorus features a catchy hook that feels nostalgic and gives a feel of that 70s and 80s rock sound that shows itself clearly in Raised by Fred and Alice.

The final song “Sweet Mama T” takes inspiration from Mother Teresa’s “Do It Anyway” poem that teaches resilience and compassion, despite being treated unkindly. It takes a softer sound than the last track but still features electrifying guitar leads and powerful vocals, continuing the energetic rock sound of that album.

“My faith is in the writing, and I want the songs to connect with anyone who has wrestled with regret, relationships, pride, or the hope of another chance. These are human experiences, and hard rock gives me a powerful way to express them.” - Shane Loy

Overall, “Devil’s Playground” is a powerful album that blends classic rock with strong messages and theatrics to create something interesting and unique. You can stream “Devil’s Playground” available now!