Devoid – Cup Of Tears – Album Review

Who doesn’t crave a refreshing cup of tears to wash down all that pent up anger and resentment that rises up in all of us? With an album title like Cup Of Tears, it sounds like Devoid specialise in a moribund slab of goth metal or classic doom but, instead, these dudes peddle melodic prog metal….crisp, polished melodic prog ramped up on classic synths and a shit-tonne of catchy choruses!

This fucker sounds like a million bucks and has the songwriting nous to warrant it. Middle-Eastern intros jostle with soaring leads, huge hooks and a vocal performance straight out of the 80’s. And that’s a bloody good thing! The vocals of Carsten Schulz are huge, enigmatic even, and play a huge part in the success of this album.

Avoiding the dreaded ‘cheese’ factor with relative ease, Cup Of Tears provides a feast of 80’s inspired melodic/prog/power metal bravado and tracks such as “Mindkeeper”, “Collective Heart” and “Otherworld” pack a sizeable punch, adding a welcome dose of metallic grit to the mix. Of course, there’s a few obligatory semi-ballads knocking around and they serve their purposes well. Adding contrast and diversity to an already dynamic album.

A ‘big’ album, in every sense of the word, Devoid’s debut has already set themselves up as a mighty melodic prog proposition. 8/10