The progressive metal fanbase uttered a triumphant battle cry with the recent release of The God-Shaped Void, the first new recording from progressive metal darlings Psychotic Waltz since 1996's Bleeding, and only their fifth album overall in a career that initially came and went all too quickly. Back once again at the helm is vocalist Devon Graves (also known as Buddy Lackey), joined by guitarists Dan Rock & Brian McAlpin, bassist Ward Evans, and drummer Norman Leggio, all members from their classic era. The God-Shaped Void contains 11 new songs, each one steeped in atmosphere, proggy textures, and plenty of heavy metal fury. These guys never took the Dream Theater approach, instead adding doomy and at time gothic elements to their progressive metal stew, the riffs crunchy, the keyboards tastefully embellishing, the guitar solos dazzling, the rhythms acrobatic yet tight, and the vocals mystical & alluring. Graves has one of the more unique voices in metal, and he can do the upper register thing as well as the lower, more gruff style, and he's in fine form here on tracks like "Devils and Angels", "All the Bad Men", and the towering "Back to Black". The mix of melancholy acoustic guitars with thundering, symphonic metal on "The Fallen" is a complete triumph, a tactic that also works wonders on the crushing and quite catchy "While the Spiders Spin". "Pull the String" and "Stranded" are two other killer cuts with some stellar production (the guitars sound HUGE), the former even sporting a wild flute solo from Graves for good measure. And, those sizzling riffs and passionate vocals of "Sisters of the Dawn"...magical, with lyrics that are completely applicable in today's crazy world.
The God-Shaped Dawn gets better and better with each listen, and for this listener, this is easily the comeback of 2020 so far. Psychotic Waltz are back, and better than ever!
An InsideOut Music/SONY Music release.
Track Listing
01. Devils and Angels
02. Stranded
03. Back to Black
04. All the Bad Men
05. The Fallen
06. While the Spiders Spin
07. Pull the String
08. Demystified
09. Seasons of the Swarm
10. Sisters of the Dawn
11. In the Silence
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