Review Summary: Majestic post-metal/metalcore fusion that never lets up.
“Terror grows inside me, I'm starting to see the dark come down, bleak freedom surrounds us”
Devil Sold His Soul are an independent six-piece ambient band from the south of England. Blurring the line between post metal, post hardcore and metalcore they create epic barriers of noise similar to those of Isis and Neurosis with the cathartic intensity of Converge.
A Fragile Hope is the bands first studio LP and acts as a thematic continuation from their earlier EP
Darkness Prevails. Evidently
Darkness Prevails was a sinister and brooding piece of work, using ambient interludes between focussed boughts of depression to set an environment of bleak hopelessness. In order to truly understand the band’s sound one must first consider that of their spiritual predecessors, cult post hardcore band Mahumodo. Once a highly influential group Mahumodo amalgamated a variety of genres to create their own sound. When founder Mehdi Safa left in 2003 the band split into two factions. That the majority of the split went on to form Devil Sold His Soul is no surprise because
A Fragile Hope continues where Mahumodo left off, and with the same formula; albeit more refined.
Intense cacophonous landscapes are evident from the start, as Devil Sold His Soul waste no time in setting their scene.
In The Absense Of Light opens proceedings with an ominous pulsating bass riff building slowly against a contrasting synth section. As this uneasy combination lingers past a welcome duration a perturbed tension builds. This apprehension serves only to heighten the shock as suddenly the dense foreboding atmosphere reaches breaking point; making way for the chaotic sonic assault that is
As The Storm Unfolds. A barrage of sound breaks the tension, replacing the deceiving? Emotion with one more akin to terror. Crashing guitars and moody synths intersperse with thick heady bass lines and frenzied drumming to create an meticulously arranged organised chaos. However the real shock is the introduction of the mesmerising vocals, an ear-piercing dry-throated scream that dominates above all else, causing everything else to fade to background noise. The intensity and power of the screams drive the song forwards and it is far from the last time that Ed Gibbs spellbinding vocals steal the show.
Dawn Of The First Day is perhaps the most fitting encapsulation of the bands overall sound as both poignantly minimalist and excruciating maximalist sections intersperse each other flawlessly. The ubiquitous tense atmosphere reaches almost intolerable levels only to be appeased with perfectly textured breakdowns, restraining the despair to a tolerable strength. The haunting atmospheres intrinsic darkness often engulf the other aspects of the music, and while the band are masters of creating anguish, it would mean nothing if the scene was all doom and gloom. Thankfully the aptly titled closer
Hope provides what can only be described as an optimistic ending; one lone beam of sunlight amongst a sky of cloud. The sheer emotional climax is commandingly beautiful and a fitting culmination to the 50-odd minutes of impenetrable desolation that preceded it. That the album can end on a high such as this is testament to the longevity of the music. The bulky 54 minute play time feels barely half that length when tackled with an open mind due to the concentrated environment and crucially the subtle variation. Over the span of the whole album the music manages to stay fresh, unlike some music in the same genre.
In all honesty the instrumental aptitude throughout
A Fragile Hope is less than astonishing. Instead of building songs around sheer technicality most of the songs are instead built on a steady, if often unconventional rhythmic foundation. The cramped densely packed sound is created through the guitar and synth duo which pervade the gaps leading to an impenetrable wall of sound. All of this crumbles into anonymity compared to the majestic vocal performance of Ed Gibbs. With each contraction of his diaphragm he manages to produce some of the best vocals in post metal, with achingly beautiful clean sections juxtaposing perfectly against the vicious raw-throated screams that makes up the majority of the oral contribution. Mostly incomprehensible, the sheer force of the monolithic roar can leave the listener taken aback and reveals a completely different monster to the slower enunciation preferred by Aaron Turner of Isis. The energetic display never lets up and in fact, nearly every song finds Gibbs showing off his impressive range.
With
A Fragile Hope Devil Sold His Soul have delivered a monumentally epic record that surpasses all initial expectations. From the start a menacing background permeates through the record and the aggressive nature of songs like
As The Storm Unfolds goes a long way to maintaining the intimidating dynamic that the band expertly play off. The pounding rhythm section often resort to unorthodox measures to maintain an aura of structured chaos and the guitar riffs and synthetic beats saturate the gaps to create a claustrophobic onslaught of sound. However more often than not it is the colossal vocals of Ed Gibbs that reign supreme; his range stretching from dry-lunged raw-throated screams to stunningly gorgeous cleans and frequently it is this combination that makes up the majority of the record. Fans of both conventional post-metal and Converge-esque metalcore are highly advised to seek out this underappreciated record as it fits perfectly in the gulf between the two. In other words, this album is just phenomenal.
“Redemption is in my heart...and I know that we'll be just fine”
Recommended Tracks
As The Storm Unfolds
Sirens Chant
Dawn Of The First Day
Hope
Overall 4.5 Superb
