Devil Sold His Soul
Loss


5.0
classic

Review

by Teal USER (19 Reviews)
April 9th, 2021 | 375 replies


Release Date: 2021 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Their Loss is our gain.

Life is challenging. Sometimes going about one’s daily life feels like an unpredictable slog through occasional peaks and numerous valleys - and after 2020, it’s safe to say most have been trudging through an extended low point in their journey. Relationships have been placed on ice, lives have been cut short, and existence had been smothered in worry, stress, and uncertainty. After the past year, it’s been made clear we’re not guaranteed anything in life, whether it’s a reunion, another chance, or even another moment.

Fortunately for Devil Sold His Soul, the band was given all three.

For those unaware, Devil Sold His Soul formed in 2004. From their origins until 2013 the band released a debut extended play, Darkness Prevails, and three subsequent full length albums, A Fragile Hope, Blessed & Cursed, and Empire of Light with lead vocalist Ed Gibbs. Ed departed from the outfit after the release of Empire of Light and Paul Green of the Arusha Accord stepped in as the frontman. Output slowed to a crawl as only one extended play and a handful of singles were released until Devil Sold His Soul were on the brink of disbanding.

Prior to dissolving, the band decided to play an anniversary tour celebrating the release of A Fragile Hope which led to a reunion with Gibbs. The decision was made to pair Gibbs with Green to sing and scream as a team. The performances were enthusiastically received and led to an inadvertent rebirth of the band.

Devil Sold His Soul spent the next three years penning new music for the first time around both vocalists. Inspiration was overflowing not only because of the reignited passion within the band, but also due to the death of drummer Alex Wood’s mother, various members of the band grappling with anxiety and depression, and the dread which arrived with the Coronavirus epidemic early in 2020. Despite these challenges, Devil Sold His Soul were given another chance to release an album to a wide audience after a extended absence - and they’ve made the most of that opportunity.

Loss is the sound of a band fully realizing their strengths. Nearly every one of these ten towering songs on offer mirror the highs and lows of life and are utterly drenched in emotion. “Ardour” opens with sparse piano notes before exploding with driving guitars and impassioned screaming. Seconds later, Gibbs and Green are heard unleashing their soaring tenors over the soundscape. The opener trades mayhem with melody until the bridge when everything suddenly folds into shimmery guitars not unlike those found on an early Jimmy Eat World ballad. “Ardour” serves as the first glimpse of the unpredictable, yet captivating songwriting showcased here.

One track later, “Burdened” opens with an almost blackgaze assault before slipping into calming, pensive verses. At the four minute mark the piece swells into a soaring crescendo with dual vocals, driving drums, and anthemic guitars resulting in a near out of body experience. Before one can catch their breath, the hushed, bright tremolo guitar work of “Tateishi” evolves into massive power chords and an anthem for survival in the face of desperation. Here, the vocal work of Gibbs and Green is on full display. From Green’s slightly deeper crooning to Gibbs’ soaring, high pitched belting the chemistry of the two vocalists and their melodic interplay above the euphoric musical foundation is simply breathtaking. “Tateishi”, despite probably being the most stunning moment on the tracklist, is but only one incredible moment in an album chock full of them.

“The Narcissist” rages and roars in the vein of old school Architects without a shred of beauty. “The Signal Fire” burns bright from the very beginning before smoldering out with longing singing and “Beyond Reach”, while fairly straightforward compared to the other lengthier tunes, might be the perfect intersection of post-hardcore and metalcore.

While all of the aforementioned pieces are incredible in their own right, Devil Sold His Soul reserve their best two songs for last. “But Not Forgotten” unfolds over seven minutes with gloomy undertones of post-rock and the towering shadows of post-metal. After roughly five minutes, the band ascends from the depths and floats among the heavens for an enthralling, breathtaking outro. Isolated piano echoes at the beginning of closer and title-track “Loss”. Written specifically in tribute to Wood’s mother, the lyrics capture the trying process of wrestling with the unexpected death of a loved one. It’s difficult to refrain from choking up when Gibbs and Green trade heartfelt lyrics such as “The sadness always comes in waves/I’ll learn to live with it someday/Although it will never truly leave/Life will grow around our grief” and “‘Cause you’re in every memory that I own/And I’d give up everything to make another one with you/And I hope we meet again” - and when the piece culminates in one last surge of emotion with Gibbs screaming “It’s all that I have left” it’s easy to feel the anguish and sorrow of the moment.

In fact, it’s easy to relate to the whole of Loss because life is difficult. This entire past year has been exhausting, stressful, and terrifying for us all and the beauty of Loss is how therapeutic these songs can be to our souls.

After a reunion with Gibbs, another chance to release a full length album, and an opportunity to process the peaks and valleys of life, it’s ironic then that Devil Sold His Soul named their album Loss because in the process of writing these timeless songs they’ve gained so much - and so will listeners who decide to give these six men and their magical music a chance.



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user ratings (263)
3.9
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
Teal
April 9th 2021


613 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

I love this album and I could see myself 5-ing it soon enough.

OldMystic
April 9th 2021


22 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This album is a delight, it's great to see them making music again after such a long gap.

Great review too!

Teal
April 10th 2021


613 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Thank you, OldMystic! Yeah, interestingly enough I hardly listened to the band before this album. Now, their first full length in nine years is my front runner for AOTY.

Durrzo
April 10th 2021


3404 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Nice review, posd. Album is pretty amazing. The singles were good but the big tracks on here are just stunning.

Teal
April 10th 2021


613 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Thanks, Durrzo! What’s your favorite song? Mine’s “Tateishi” at the moment. I hope these guys get the recognition they deserve off this album.

Ecnalzen
April 10th 2021


12167 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Checkin this now



Hopin for extra greatness

Durrzo
April 10th 2021


3404 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Right now I'm leaning towards Signal Fire as my favorite but it's pretty close between several.

cloakanddagger
April 10th 2021


764 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Gorgeous album and fantastic review, this is hands down my AOTY so far.

Teal
April 10th 2021


613 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Thank you, cloakanddagger. I feel the same, although I’m interested to see how much I like the new Holding Absence album next week too. It might be another AOTY contender.

cloakanddagger
April 10th 2021


764 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Oh is it next week that's dropping? That'll definitely be up there for me too, I had a hard time enough deciding whether I like this or the new Zao album more.

ellinho
April 10th 2021


31 Comments


Im so stoked for this, the singles were great.

Teal
April 10th 2021


613 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Yep! This upcoming Friday. I liked all the singles so I imagine the whole album will be very solid. I haven’t had a chance to dive into Zao yet. I heard it’s a pretty dense record and I’m wrapped up in this one, but I’m excited to experience it eventually.

Durrzo
April 10th 2021


3404 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Holding Absence seem to have made a pretty substantial shift in sound. I'm not thrilled with their singles so far, but I'll give the album a fair shot. No chance of it competing with this though.

JesperL
Staff Reviewer
April 10th 2021


5664 Comments


great review! album art for this alone makes it a must check

Dedes
Contributing Reviewer
April 10th 2021


10551 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Good review dawg. I remember As the Storm Unfolds maybe 3 or 4 years ago but I just completely forget they existed. Rn I'm jamming A Fragile Hope but I'll definitely get on this today.

bloc
April 10th 2021


70683 Comments


Sweet, did not know this was out already

Pikazilla
April 10th 2021


31198 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I was not prepared

JesperL
Staff Reviewer
April 10th 2021


5664 Comments


my god i really cannot stand the clean vox on this :[

RustCohle
April 10th 2021


428 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

what an amazing album that is!

GhandhiLion
April 10th 2021


17677 Comments


Is this better than A Fragile Hope?



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