THE GOD-SHAPED VOID

This album was released 2 years ago to the day on the InsideOut label. I was very surprised to see this release considering it's been over 25 years since their last studio album. This reminded me of when IN THE WOODS... released "Pure" in 2016 to great results as well after a long hiatus. Talk about making a name for yourself though with those four studio albums they released in the nineties. And we get the original 5 piece lineup back. I actually love that "Mosquito" record from 1994 but that's the cool thing, each record has a different flavour and "The God-Shaped Void" really comes across as the natural successor to "Bleeding".

I love this album! I prefer that dark and heavy style that we get here, and DEADSOUL TRIBE Devon's other amazing band might be a good example but this is more Prog-Metal here. And how about those anthemic choruses! Man this is melodic and atmospheric and with Devon adding that flute like he does with DEADSOUL TRIBE to incredible results. And the cover art! Travis Smith out does himself a lot I find and I didn't know or had forgotten that he did the cover art for their final 90's album "Bleeding". This particular album is dedicated "In loving memory of Mike Clift" who did the cover art on their first three studio albums. Yes Buddy Lackey, Dan Rock and Brian McAlpin are back in the saddle again!

So the record is all about fallen angels or demons if you will and the pictures Travis did in the liner notes along with that cover art are all just all so impressive. Some intense art work. I just think this is a recording the boys should be very proud about and I hope they're giving copies to friends. I like every song on here but the three that standout are the ones I want to focus on including that opener "Demons And Angels" which I can't say right now without singing it because of the chorus. Atmosphere builds before the flute calms things down then bang we are hit with a powerful soundscape before 1 1/2 minutes. Riffs and vocals. I like the contrasts here and throughout. These guys can bring that dark atmosphere then explode with authority.

"Stranded" is such a beautiful tune especially that chorus while the verses are powerful and mid paced. "Back To Black" and "All The Bad Men" are both heavy and catchy but it's the next tune "The Fallen" that is included in my top three. Acoustic guitar and atmosphere as laid back vocals join in. Great, great chorus here as Devon cries "We are the fallen!" Again the contrasts work so well and how about the guitar before 4 minutes. The other top three is "Sisters Of The Dawn" and this is where Devon proves he is singing better than ever in my opinion. Just a great performance and that chorus is so epic.

I hear this was ten years in the making and they did it right in my opinion. When I discovered these guys they had already disbanded and at the time there was these two mini box sets with "A Social Grace" and "Mosquito" in one and "Into The Everflow" and "Bleeding" in the other released by Metal Blade Records in 2004 with a bonus dvd in each. "The God-Shaped Void" will sit proudly with those.