Devil Sold His Soul - Loss

Angry Metal Guy

I almost missed this. The promo gods blessed my eyes merely days before its release date. A series of flashbacks lit up my tired brain as I gazed upon Loss‘ promo: long college days doing laundry in the dorm basement whilst blasting A Fragile Hope or wandering darkened streets allowing Blessed & Cursed to be the light. I have history with Devil Sold His Soul, but not all of it good, especially when we parted on poor terms: I got fed up with Empire of Light‘s excessive vocals and didn’t give EP Belong ╪ Betray a fair chance. Loss, the first release in seven years, hits differently: it chronicles seven years of grief and personal loss from its creators. Is it the labor of love it was intended to be?

Devil Sold His Soul is a six-piece from London, having released three full-lengths and two EPs since 2005. Borrowing influence from members’ shared career in Mahumodo, they established their lush and heavy sound in Blessed & Cursed following the devastatingly bleak A Fragile Hope. Borrowing influences from post-rock-leaning screamo in Envy, post-metal hugeness a la Trenches or Isis, post-hardcore vocals like Chiodos, and even furiously unhinged moments of Converge, comparisons to A Hope for Home, Rinoa, and The Elijah are fair. Loss sees these Londoners once again setting out on their own, taking advantage of a dual-vocal attack and somber atmosphere, resulting in an album packed with dynamic highlights and devastating emotional weight.

The most distinctive element of Loss is the balance of thick riffs and lush atmosphere, complemented by the chemistry between returning vocalist Ed Gibbs and Belong ╪ Betray‘s frontman (and former The Arusha Accord vocalist) Paul Green. While their screams differ little, Gibbs’ piercing emo-influenced vocals are balanced nearly perfectly by Green’s more soulful, smoky tone, allowing truly soaring hooks. The somber “Witness Marks,” the punchy “Beyond Reach,” the catchy “Signal Fire,” and the beautiful slow-burn title track showcase these goosebump-inducing vocals, especially Gibbs’ during quieter moments and Green’s angelic belting. With all the clean singing, Devil Sold His Soul has not lost its bite. While it could be argued that Loss contains the least post-metal in its discography, the stringed attack throughout remains crushing alongside trademark passages of ambiance and placid plucking. Furthermore, breakneck riffs in “Tateishi,” “The Narcissist,” and “Acrimony” are handled with stunningly climactic Amia Venera Landscape-esque chaos and density. Devil Sold His Soul‘s performances are by no means technically astounding, but the cohesion of instrumentals in the creation of its ebb and flow atmosphere shows incredible restraint. Likewise, the passages of desperation, fury, beauty, and contemplation, as movements in a dynamic swell, also powerfully reflect the shifting sands of its theme.

The most potentially divisive element of Loss is what in excess sank Empire of Light: Gibbs’ singing. It’s nasally, somewhere between As It Is-esque pop/punk and Chiodos‘ mid-2000’s post-hardcore. While it truly shines during the softer moments (see the title track), it simply cannot hold a candle to Green’s more suitably sober tone, in spite of similar range. Case in point is “But Not Forgotten,” whose climax is nearly derailed by the over-loud, piercing vocals that drown out the closing riff. Furthermore, Loss’ aforementioned highlights are as such because of their adherence to a decided mood, as “Witness Marks” and the title track confine themselves to the unwavering sadness while “The Narcissist” and “Acrimony” are unrelenting in their heft. Indecision makes tracks like “Ardour” and “Burdened” feel a bit in an identity crisis, haphazardly juxtaposing crushing heaviness and angelic cleans. Finally, Loss clocks in at over an hour, which, considering the astounding lack of filler material, is impressive but nevertheless daunting.

In the end, Loss was well worth the wait. Does it ascend to the heights of its predecessors? A Fragile Hope and Blessed & Cursed are nearly impossible to top, but Loss outdoes Empire of Light by a long shot. Instead of reinvention, Devil Sold His Soul rather provides a more fully realized version of Belong ╪ Betray, utilizing vocal dynamics, post-metal fury, and lush melodies to accomplish the somber atmosphere without compromising listener accessibility. It’s intriguing that the band would release such a personal album after seven years of silence, but the painful vulnerability is graceful while the replay value is immense. Loss is ultimately imperfect, but in that imperfection lies a heartbreaking, desperate, and by all accounts, beautiful return to form.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 270 kbps mp3
Websites: devilsoldhissoul.com | facebook.com/devilsoldhissoul
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Released Worldwide: April 9th, 2021

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