Devil Sold His Soul

Monday, 23 August 2010 00:54

Devil Sold His Soul

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Band: Devil Sold His Soul
Album: Blesses and Cursed
Label: Century Media
Tracks: 10
Release Date: 2010-07-12
Lenght: 64' 03" Crushingly heavy, darkly atmospheric, emotionally poignant, and never less than utterly enthralling, DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL combine devastating force and haunting melody in a unique and involving blend that is as hypnotic as it is moving.

“We’ve progressed with every step we’ve taken, and the new album kicks the ass of the last one,” Gibbs states frankly.

“If you can’t think of ways to make things better in retrospect then I think you’ve failed in some sense. This record has more to it on every level, every song is different to the last, and it’s going to be impossible to ignore.”

Once again recorded at Renshaw’s studio by the guitarist, who has also produced the likes of Rinoa, the band allowed themselves as much time as was necessary to fully realize their vision, one which allows some light to permeate their shadowy world while carrying their signature sound in new and exciting directions.

“’Darkness Prevails’ was very dark, and ‘A Fragile Hope’ was even darker, and though there is a lot of sorrow and desperation on the new record, we’re also trying to show that even when things are really bad there’s always that hope and optimism that things really can pick up,” Kitney explains, something that Gibbs wholly concurs with. “It takes you on a way more interesting journey than the last record, it’s more of a rollercoaster with constant ups and downs but it really flows together too. I’ve written a lot about human nature, the positive and negative aspects within that sphere, and I often didn’t realize I was doing it, but many of the songs were written in a very negative mindset but end on a more positive note, almost as if reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The fact that “Blessed & Cursed” is a more dynamic, varied beast than “A Fragile Hope”, is made immediately evident by the likes of “Crane Lake” and “The Weight of Faith”, both of which have been previewed live by the band and embraced by their fans. With the former showcasing an expansive, warmer sound that would surely elicit an approving nod from the likes of Mogwai and Isis, and the latter driven by a punchy, mutant groove that will incite mosh pits to explode in a chaotic morass of flailing limbs, there is something truly imposing about DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL in 2010.

There is the sense that this is a unit driven by a singular purpose – to envelop and devour everything in their path. It is the first time they have worked with an outside mixer in order to add some fresh ear and skill: Steve Evetts (Dillinger Escape Plan, Glassjaw, The Cure). Hence, it also made perfect sense to have Alan Douches master “Blessed & Cursed” at West West Side Music. The record also marks the recording debut of drummer Leks Wood, who brings a new and exciting sense of dynamics to the band, and it sees them making the transition from tiny UK indie label Eyesofsound to metal giant Century Media.

With their career up until now firmly adhering to a DIY ethic, the band are poised to see their music placed before a worldwide audience and the kind of exposure they have long deserved. “The fact that it’s a global release makes it a whole different ballgame,” enthuses Kitney. “Doing the whole DIY thing is difficult, but we’re really, really proud of what we’ve managed to do in the UK and we want to keep building and building on that, because our fans are amazing, they keep us going. We’ve been bubbling under the surface for years and we haven’t been able to break all the way through, and now that we’ve got Century Media behind us it gives us the opportunity to take on the world properly.”

The band are undoubtedly in it for the long haul and will be once again playing anywhere and everywhere they can as they bring “Blessed & Cursed” to the masses. And while global acclaim and success surely awaits them, the band remain humble about their achievements and aspirations. “The story of our career has been one of a slow, steady build,” says Gibbs, “but I think in a way you build a much more positive fan base doing it that way rather than being the fashionable band that suddenly grows a fan base overnight, because those same fans can drop you just as fast when fashions change.”

“Normally when people come into contact with our music they tend to like it,” adds Kitney, “we have something there that people really latch on to, so it’s just about getting it out there, and now we’re ready to take it everywhere.”

"A Fragile Hope" Reviews:

Kerrang!: "...a devastatingly apocalyptic record that defiantly stands out...Thrilling, unique and utterly brilliant." KKKK (4/5)

Rock Sound: "Lie down before you listen to DSHS, as they're extremely overwhelming...Listen for a truly speaker-shuddering experience." (8/10)

Q Magazine: "This is weighty, furrowed-brow art-metal, by turns bleak, beautiful and brutal as it swells with volume and density...moody souls will appreciate its oppressive gravitas." (3/5)

Big Cheese Magazine: "This is British Metal that deserves to be recognised..." (4.5/5)

Terrorizer: "...If there is one thing you do this year then buy this album because it is monumentally brilliant..." (9/10)

Track List