n recent years I’ve seen an increasing number of niche microgenres appearing within Metal music. Some of them are very suggestive while others are straight up ridiculous, but one of them really caught my attention and that’s “Cosmic Death Metal” (which apparently has more than 3 bands playing it). Matter of fact, there’s some early releases such as Nocturnus – “The Key” that could easily fit into this very specific category.
In any case, if there’s a band that could easily represent this “Cosmic” factor, it’s Devoid Of Thought. Is it the planets on the album cover of their first album, ‘Outer World Graves’? Is it the alien-like riffing? It’s the fact that their unique brand of Death Metal sounds like it’s been brought from another planet with a highly-intelligent population.
After releasing their debut full-length album ‘Outer World Graves’ in 2021, Devoid Of Thought returns and spews forth their latest offering, their Self Titled album. Right off the bat, the band re-initiates us to the sounds of the world they came from with a robotic, otherworldly voice and then proceeds to deliver dissonant but very tasty riffage that shows how they improved along the years, both in terms of technicality and atmosphere.
Although the whole “Cosmic Death Metal” thing is supposed to mean a more spaced out, atmospheric type of execution, Devoid Of Thought does not hesitate to insert very precise, cutting-edge riffs, sudden and often times confusing tempo/rhythm changes as well as aggressive blastbeats that induce the need to headbang faster than the average mortal neck can handle. One thing I can say for sure is that musically, this album is way more complex than their debut, in a good way. The closing track, ‘Entheogenic Ritual’, changes things up a little with a slower, more melodic feeling while still keeping things very tense with squealing guitars and a very Doom Metal-like drumming for the most part, until the blasting madness begins again.
Needless to say, Devoid Of Thought’s Self Titled album is a great release that takes the listener through a brutal auditory manifestation of an alien world, far away from us. The band’s progress regarding their musicianship does not go unnoticed and I think that if you’re into Death Metal in the vein of Tomb Mold and Fossilization you should definitely lay your ears upon this record.
