Psychotic Waltz – The God-Shaped Void

Label: InsideOut Music
Release date: 14 February 2020

In the mid-80s, prog was gaining notoriety in a lot of venues, and the genre was branching out and trying to gain a foothold in other areas it had previously not been seen. Prog rock was fairly easy to digest with big names like Rush, Yes, and Genesis at the forefront, followed by the somewhat less known but equally respected likes of Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, and many more. However, what all these bands had in common was a lack of a heavy and hardcore feel. After all, many people were–and are still–surprised to learn that Disturbed’s 2005 hit Land of Confusion is a Genesis cover, ignoring beyond this the flamingo-legged flautist of Jethro Tull, and Gentle Giant’s delightfully bouncy earworm, Two Weeks In Spain. So with the mid-80s came a change where prog got heavier, and prog rock branched off to invent prog metal, starting with one of the most iconic pioneers of the genre, Dream Theater (albeit known as Majesty at this time), in 1985. That same year, another prog metal group called Aslan formed, and after having their chaotic sound described as a “psychotic waltz”, promptly changed their name to embrace that criticism as their brand.

At their beginning, Psychotic Waltz created a heavy metal meets doomy-ballad vibe, sounding like a blending of King Diamond, Candlemass, and a dash of David Bowie. The backbone of their first two albums, A Social Grace (1990) and Into the Everflow (1992), are Dan Rock and Brian McAlpin’s winding and evil guitar riffs that growl and squeal like living creatures. Meanwhile, Norman Leggio’s drum beats and cymbal crashes sound off like gunshots, the necessary punctuation in the run-on sentence prog is known to write. Vocalist Devon Graves’ often glass-shattering yet pleasantly wavering vocals act as a conductor, pauses and emphasis guiding the band in a way that seems peculiar to an untrained audience who is forced to just clap and admire the technical skill. Sometimes heated and heavy, sometimes disarmingly subdued, the group always hit the mark with a powerful and enchanting sound. Their later albums, Mosquito (1994) and Bleeding (1996), really take on some of the Alice In Chains energy previously found in the background of earlier entries and blend it in with the proggy vibes, evolving the sound into something harder, sludgier, and sometimes funkier. Despite these impressive four albums, one every two years, Psychotic Waltz took their leave of the scene in 1996. They got back together for a few European tours in 2011 and, having missed the energy of being together, decided to write a new album in 2012. Now, a full 23 years since their last album, and seven years in the making, the band is back with their fifth album, The God-Shaped Void.

Devils and Angels opens the album with a slowly rising, space-y sound, accompanied by the tribal sounds of a flute and leather-skin drums before a chorus rings out, the band taking their places on the scene with a dark semi-ballad. Graves has not lost an ounce of passion in his voice and his absence has only served to season him, his harmonies and soft tones almost romantic behind the quiet viciousness. Graves returns to his previous sound on the next track, Stranded, somewhat nasally and singing at a strange pace. This, combined with the constant changes of what the guitars play between and during verses add to the air of uncertainty of the track, the song itself seeming to rock back and forth. Back to Black continues the story unfolding across this album, Rock’s keys in the background and Leggio’s rolling triplets serving as support behind the strong and insistent guitar, Graves’ rising and falling vocals in sync with the notes from the strings. All the Bad Men starts remarkably strong and doesn’t stop the whole way through, Leggio doing commendable work to set the serious tone while Graves lets his voice roll out slowly, stretching out the notes as if he really means to get his message across. This track and Devils and Angels were both released as singles before the album, and both are deserving of that honor, each displaying the technical skill the band as a whole has. The next track, The Fallen, starts by replacing the guitars with acoustics, Graves singing a haunting melody that has the same false pleasantness of Hotel California, something deeply wrong happening beneath the surface. So slow that it is difficult to perceive until it has already happened, the electric guitars eventually return and the drums beat a harder rhythm, Graves cheekily singing “just close your eyes while I creep inside you” during this transition. There is a brief pause with what could be a flamenco guitar before returning to the heavier and deeply emotional sound, the track steadily ramping up and then ending somewhat abruptly, but quite successfully. While the Spiders Spin is another song that begins with a soft and romantic acoustic that then utterly explodes into clear and passionate guitar backed by powerful drum beats. Graves has a mysterious and haunting sound to his voice here, notes running suddenly high and suddenly low, sometimes letting a note ring out and other times ending it sharply. The guitars, too, have their own spooky and downright evil feel, pleading for a moment of their own and taking whatever they can get.

The halfway point of the album is the track Pull the String, which starts significantly harder than previous tracks and maintains this vibe throughout, but is somewhat monotonous in its execution. While not a bad song, it is mostly forgettable amongst the rest of the incredible stories told on the album, save for a somewhat out-of-place flute solo in the middle. The flute-playing works much better on the next track, Demystified. The track sounds similar to a composition by Akira Yamaoka, using peculiar chord progressions on an acoustic and a slowly strum guitar behind it to set a mood that feels both helpless and filled with quiet vengeance. The track’s middle is heavier and filled with energy but the final minute removes the heavy elements and is merely the enchanting melody played on flamenco guitar, slowly ending in a fadeout. Season of the Swarm, a first-edition bonus, is a strong track that has all the elements now expected to be found, but is lacking any hard-hitting solos or peculiar vocal note ranges. It is also hindered by a long outro that feels a bit like it was tacked on as an afterthought, making this track not exactly bad, but definitely odd. Sisters of the Dawn evokes a bit of the earlier sound Graves had present on the albums A Social Grace and Into the Everflow, a treat and a more than welcome addition to the album. This track is one of the few that seems to be highlighting Graves alone, the wailing guitars and simpler drums there to set his beat and harmonize. The middle of the track silences itself to give Graves the stage, his half-whispers once again akin to his earlier David Bowie sound, hopefully earning this track the seal of approval from fans both young and old. The final track on the album, In the Silence, fights itself in its desire to be a peaceful ballad and to be a powerful metal track that calls to action, toeing the line between the two and sometimes momentarily letting one side win. The majority of the track is quietly commanding, the bursts of heavier guitarwork working with the soft acoustic notes, and Graves masterfully changing his tone to match the mood desired. Like Demystified and Season of the Swarm, this track also ends in a minute distinctly different from the rest of the song. Folksy and almost medieval strings backed by the same space-y sounds found at the beginning of Devils and Angels lead this album to its satisfying conclusion, which in turn becomes the beginning.

Lovingly crafted over seven long years, and after a gap of 23 total years, The God-Shaped Void has a lot to live up to. However, when playing the game for as long as Psychotic Waltz have–and by, in fact, being some of the creators of the game–it is definitely no surprise that this release absolutely nails it. Beautiful soundscapes are hidden amongst the heavy metal, some tracks playing like night and day and night again, every song another portrait painted with a musical brush. Apart, many are true works of art that can work as stand-alone pieces, but together, the whole picture can be seen. If you already love what Psychotic Waltz have done for the prog metal genre in the 90s and have been eagerly waiting for this release, you will not be disappointed. And if you aren’t a fan of Psychotic Waltz yet, you will be one after picking up this album, guaranteed.

Line up:

• Devon Graves – Vocals
• Dan Rock – Guitars, Keyboards
• Brian McAlpin – Guitars
• Ward Evans – Bass
• Norman Leggio – Drums

1. Devils and Angels
2. Stranded
3. Back to Black
4. All the Bad Men
5. The Fallen
6. While the Spiders Spin
7. Pull the String
8. Demystified
9. Season of the Swarm
10. Sisters of the Dawn
11. In the Silence

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