Band:	Psychotic Waltz
Album:	The God-Shaped Void
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	February 14, 2020
A review by:	nikarg

01. Devils And Angels
02. Stranded
03. Back To Black
04. All The Bad Men
05. The Fallen
06. While The Spiders Spin
07. Pull The String
08. Demystified
09. Season Of The Swarm [Mediabook bonus]
10. Sisters Of The Dawn
11. In The Silence

The comeback phenomenon of bands inactive for decades that has been sweeping over metal music lately has not left the progressive genre untouched. Following the recent resurrection of prog legends Heir Apparent and Conception, 2020 signifies the grand return of Psychotic Waltz.

With their original line-up no less!

I guess the first question is how does The God-Shaped Void sound in comparison to their other albums that were released in another century. I can tell you that it actually is something which could have been released right after Bleeding in the sense that Psychotic Waltz had already then adopted a more simplified approach in their songwriting, focusing mostly on atmosphere, melodies and mood. The God-Shaped Void feels like it hasn't been 24 years since its predecessor and it has an even more melancholic and dark undertone, while irresistible melodies appear all the time from left, right and centre in the form of enchanting acoustic and lead guitars, magnetizing flute and shadowy keyboards.

The love for gloom was evident from the album opener and first song that was revealed, "Devils And Angels". Admittedly, it features one of the most banal riffs ever but its atmosphere is mysterious and doomy and Buddy Lackey's vocals in the verse bizarrely remind me of Andrew Eldritch's (The Sisters Of Mercy) singing in "Marian". From then on the record's pace is moderate, without insane tempo changes, and with most songs taking their time to fully develop and aiming at immersing the listener. Less often things get more aggressive, like on "Back To Black", "Sisters Of The Dawn" or the closing crescendo of "Devils And Angels".

The God-Shaped Void doesn't have the heaviness of A Social Grace, the instant catchiness of Into The Everflow or the quirkiness and the alternative/grunge experimentation of Mosquito. Considering how innovative and progressive Psychotic Waltz used to be, their new album is surprisingly accessible and easy listening, without many left-field prog moments but it is really full of brilliant music moments. The choruses of "All The Bad Men", "Demystified" and "Sisters Of The Dawn", the solo work on "Stranded", "While The Spiders Spin" and "In The Silence", Buddy's astonishing vocal performance on "The Fallen", and his trademark flute on "Pull The String" and "Demystified" are only a few of these moments; there are so many more but I'll let you discover them yourselves.

I can imagine people being disappointed if they were expecting something akin to A Social Grace but these people probably forget that the band was already heading to a different direction with every album after their debut and with The God-Shaped Void it seems to me like they have reached the destination they were aiming for since the very beginning. I've had this record for nearly two months, I've listened to it incessantly and I absolutely love it because it sucks me into its own world every time I play it, which is essentially what I am always looking for in music; to be completely carried away by it.

Hadn't they been ripped off by record labels, Psychotic Waltz probably would - and, quite frankly, should - have been as famous as Dream Theater or Fates Warning because they were that good. It's never too late though, The God-Shaped Void is such an impressive comeback, it is going to be impossible to go unnoticed.

"How long have we been waiting
We are alive and we will soon arise
We have survived falling from so high"