Year: 2020
Total Time: 58:50
Label: Inside Out
The return of the Californian titans of Prog metal is a fact. Devon Graves’ strange mind rejoined Dan Rock, Norm Leggio, Ward Evans and Brian McAlpin in the studio after about 24 years to give us the fifth album of this legendary band. So, what does one expect to hear in “The God-Shaped Void”? The answer is simple: The lost art of songwriting.
Picking up exactly where they left us with “Bleeding”, the band reduced their Funk influences, the mindboggling complex parts and they kept the heavy and groovy riffs, the addictive melodies, the acoustic guitars, the flute and of course Graves’ ageless voice to compose one of the most beautiful albums of 2020. All the songs are completely captivating. It’s very hard to pick a favourite song. But before you come to this conclusion, you need to give some time and attention to the music. Especially if you’re familiar with the group’s past. The first time you’ll listen to it, you will be struck by the lack of technical parts as well as by the more simplistic approach to the compositions. But the more you listen to it, the quicker you’ll find out how complete each track is. From the first to the very last second. The whole band works like a machine in perfect sync. Nothing is unnecessary. The same goes for the production which is flawless and offers a modern upgrade to the organic sound of the 5 veteran musicians. The reason for this is the clever choice of Ulrich Wild behind the console, whose experience with bands such as SOIL, OTEP and DEATHLOK has managed to modernize the result and make it more accessible to younger fans.
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ in their new album, have invested heavily in the atmosphere, with the songs never exceeding the mid-tempo speed and Grave’s lyrical voice taking the lead. Heavy rhythm guitars are surrounded by keys, acoustic guitars, the trademark flute tribute to Ian Anderson and of course the unique leads and solos of Rock/McAlpin. The art of song writing that was lost with the advent of new technology and new methods of recording music, is found again in “The God-Shaped Void” and is able to bring back some smiles to all the nostalgists of the 90s (as did the last year’s return of the legends LAST CRACK) but also to offer something different to the younger audience.
Unfortunately, the record isn’t perfect. The lack of more complex parts as well as the repeatability of some riffs/rhythmic guitars prevent me from describing “The God-Shaped Void” as a masterpiece. But tracks like “Demystified”, “Devils and Angels”, “Sisters of the Dawn” and the mesmerizing “The Fallen” with its breath-taking climax are urging me to place it already in my top ten list for this year.
Rating: 9/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: PSYCHOTIC WALTZ – Official Page
