Album Review: Devoid Of Thought - Devoid Of Thought
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Devoid Of Thought made a prominent statement when they released their debut full length, Outer World Graves, back in 2021, and five years on the band finally return for their second and self-titled record. Formed in 2016 and hailing from Lombardy, Italy, Devoid Of Thought wasted no time releasing their first Demo followed by a number of Splits before releasing the aforementioned debut full length. In the interim the band have otherwise been quiet regarding studio material, but fans’ patience has paid off as Devoid Of Thought unveil a psychedelic, amorphous cover in stark contrast to their debut’s dismal and meteoric vista. Slated for release April 24th their self-titled release has been picked up by Unorthodox Emanations where another six tracks of Devoid Of Thought’s signature death metal is on display. These guys have often been on my mind and I’ve been eager for more material. Is the five year wait justified? Let’s find out.
The band have championed a spacey, kaleidoscopic approach to death metal with their debut album yet I feel their self-titled work takes that to another level entirely. With these riffs and songwriting, the band are pushing into nigh-progressive territory as riffs and licks veer into virginal tangents before the band rope them back in for the crux of the track. I liked how Devoid Of Thought aren’t afraid to place you in soundscapes where you won’t quite know what’s happening, as if they’ve sucked all air from the room leaving you gasping for breath and understanding before they throw it all back upon you. There are moments where the band’s aggression recedes, with only the outlines remaining but the void therein is still active, a husk performed as marionette. In this instance the band demonstrate they’re adept in crafting uncomfortable stretches of time that aren’t mere flair but are structurally integral to a track on the whole.
One angle which helps Devoid Of Thought remain unique as how their songwriting doesn’t act the way most bands would approach their extreme metal. You always perceive the band never wanted their sound to feel contemporary and thus were content writing music unafraid to be disliked. I think some could experience this album and simply not understand why the band are going for, because it refuses to sit quietly and provide audiences the conventional experience. This is spacey extreme metal cannibalising itself, Creation’s myriad layers unfolding one unto the other for all time and it knows not how to end because time and space were not designed to end. Through their songwriting, Devoid Of Thought offer a window into what finality sounds like. Typical blocky sounding riffs are utterly absent and whilst tracks undergo sequential succession from verse to chorus to bridge etc, the longevity of such stages, where they’re placed, which coms next or prior, is taken thoroughly out of your control.
The drums are simply incredible here. Firstly they hardly stop for any gasp of air. Whether their drummer is delivering intricately unfolding patterns that only continue to develop and evolve, alternating time signatures offset against riffs and vocals that bellow and paint the light black or with double bass drums thy heave and haul all else asunder to find your senses, the drums are working flat out at every given moment. Many extreme metal records, especially the kind where the songwriting is somewhat experimental, like this self-titled piece, don’t give the drums their due nor implicate them in the technicality their drummer possesses. The guitar work may keep your ears open and on guard for what’s to come yet the drums keep you engaged, rooted to earth, for the band don’t intend on your slipping away anytime soon.
Onto the vocals. You’re not going to comprehend a word uttered. But perhaps that’s for the best since Devoid Of Thought appear to be gunning for a more atmospheric insertion regarding the vocals than putting down lines the audience can follow. Were the vocals absent the songwriting would exhibit something transient, the misshapen miracle of rogue physics, but with vocals in place it summons heinous and nightmare vistas into which mortal understanding ceases. I’m glad the vocals are unintelligible as it enables audiences to delve further willingly into their demonic soundscapes from which fires burn not yet we can find flesh peeling on our bodies. It’s why this record of five tracks, some of them lengthy, race by with surprising pace despite the band’s deliberately intangible songwriting.
In conclusion, this self-titled work is a remarkable insight into where Devoid Of Thought are at and where they may take us into the future. It’s difficult comparing this record to Outer World Graves since although they exhibit similar approaches in songwriting, utilising the space theme, this is by far the more technically and progressively impressive release. The band herein have forsaken all niceties of pleasing audiences and unleashed music they’re happy with that they enjoy. The result is easily one of the more comprehensively unhinged metal releases the year has put forth yet, for while Devoid Of Thought put immense effort into crafting this manic soundscape you’ll still be able to follow along and experience everything the band include in these five tracks. I think it’s a huge moment for the band and deserves to be their breakout instance putting them on par with established acts like Ulthar and Revocation.
The title is intriguing; do you think the album lives up to it? Sounds like an interesting mix.