Off the back of their originally unassuming 2005 EP Darkness Prevails, the collective have forged a legacy that can be heard within an ever increasing plethora of bands that specialise in the sound of post-metal influenced music, with countless acts over the years citing their work as primary influences and inspirations.

Whilst their stature as scene juggernauts is without question, recent years have seen facing a series of public trails and tribulations, events that led many to ponder the future of the band. Following the release of their monolithic and oceanic second full length, 2012’s Empire of Light, it was announced that vocalist Ed Gibbs would be handing over the microphone to Paul Green of The Ashura Accord in order to pursue a career outside of music. The changeover and subsequent 2014 Belong ╪ Betray EP was welcomed by their devoted fanbase, but as the years ticked by without news of a release, many began to wonder aloud the status of the band. With that in mind, when it was announced in 2017 that the band would be embarking on tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their pioneering debut A Fragile Hope with Gibbs on vocals alongside Green, many presumed it would a final curtain call for the act. But as Gibbs and Green elaborate, the tour was the catalyst for what is set to be the most pivotal arch of Devil Sold His Soul’s career to date.

“If that tour didn’t happen we would have never written this album”, states Paul Green. “I don’t think we would still be a band if we didn’t do that tour. Basically, we went through a cycle before Ed came back into the fold where we where just treading water really. We were just doing the same thing every year or so, just playing the same circle of shows and not getting the support slots we wanted. Then we went over to Europe and it was absolutely abysmal. Those few years before the tour really sucked the life out the band. We didn’t think we were going anywhere and we really where thinking of just calling it a day. Of course, I’m glad we didn’t because we did those anniversary shows and it did show us that people do care about this band.”

“At that point there was never any talk about doing this record, it was not even considered at that point, continues Gibbs. “For me it was originally a case of doing that tour before going on our own merry ways again. I can’t really stress enough how invigorating those ten year shows for A Fragile Hope were, it was the most fun we ever had as a band.”

Of course, the tour in question was the first time the band was fronted by two vocalists. The inclusion of any new member can uproot long embedded personal dynamics, but as Green explains, the rejoining of Gibbs only revitalised the band more. “It really helped segway us into what we are now. We got on super well from the word go. Creatively, we do work differently and we created a solution that worked really well for both of us. there was no bickering over who gets what parts and who’s signing what lyrics and who’s writing what. I’ve been in other bands with two vocalists and it’s never been as harmonious as this. This just shows what you can do if you find the right connection.”

Even if Gibbs was originally only rejoining the band for those string of shows, it was quickly confirmed that Devil Sold His Soul would be continuing onwards with two frontmen. Not long after the respective tenth anniversary run, the band embarked on one of their biggest string of shows to date, playing a string of high calibre shows at the likes of ArcTanGent and Teddy Rocks, touring alongside the then recently reborn Sikth and even jetting over to Japan to play Osaka and Tokyo with the infamous mathcore collective The Number Twelve Looks Like You. Anyone who saw the band post anniversary tour could easily ascertain the band were made anew during that period, and as the two vocalists elaborate, it was after that touring schedule that truly infused the early writings of Loss with a new found sense of positive urgency. “Japan really lit a fire under us,” smiles Gibbs before Green explains. “We got a lot of ideas whilst we were out there, it was really inspiring. But it wasn’t until we put our instruments down from touring a side before thinking “we want this, lets make it happen let’s make this happen.” We were positive and we were in a good headspace.”