Devoid

Reissue Cup Of Tears with MR Records

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by WPROD

Devoid present their own thrilling brand of melodic metal, now featuring the participation of guitarist extraordinaire Shad Mae (Shadyon), powerhouse vocalist Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz (ex-Domain, Lazarus Dream), guitarist Gwen Kerjan, keyboardist Jorris Guilbaud, bassist Geofreey Neau, and drummer Benjamin Lesous. Their current album Lonely Eye Movement was released to great acclaim through Fronttiers Music Srl last year. And now through the mighty MR Records of Australia, Devoid has reissued their glorious debut Cup Of Tears! In addtion to all the superb musicianship found within, Cup Of Tears has a guest appearance by the one and only Magnus Karlsson of Primal Fear infamy. Highwire Daze recently caught up with Devoid mastermind Shad Mae to discuss the return and the making of Cup Of Tears, the recent Lonely Eye Movement, news on the Shadyon front, and more!

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Devoid, and how long the band has been together.

Hello I am SHAD MAE founder of the band DEVOID and SHADYON , I am the guitarist and main songwriter of DEVOID . The band has been around since 2017 and we have released 2 albums - the 1st on MR RECORDS thanks to Andrew McNeice for his confidence and the 2nd on Frontiers Records.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?

We are based in France except CARSTEN who resides in Germany.

How did the MR Records reissue of Cup Of Tears come about?

Currently the album is reissued on CDs, it is very probable that a vinyl reissue will arrive soon. This is good news because it means that the album is popular and that we can continue the development of the group with serenity.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title Cup Of Tears?

There is no real concept on this album, it is essentially rather introspective personal reflections on my way of looking at life..and I admit it’s not very happy. There is a form cynicism in the lyrics

Select two songs from Cup Of Tears and what inspired the

lyrics.

I quote THE CLOCK IS TICKING and SOLDIERS. Soldiers talks about our world which is in perpetual war (just look at recent events in Ukraine). The resulting human sacrifices for justifications that I find obsolete. To be right … certain things, objectives are beyond me in this world without great humanity and without real awareness of what our fundamental purpose is.

The Clock Is Ticking talks about that it’s necessary to ensure that we do not waste our time on trivialities and concentrate on what excites us, really pleases us. Do not pretend, do not lie to yourself.. time flies... regrets are disastrous ...failure can be beneficial if you transform it into an experience that leads to success....I’m still afraid of this phrase...it’s too late...

Who produced Cup Of Tears and what was it like working with them?

This is Gwen KERJAN, owner of SLABSOUNDSTUDIO, we have been working together for years, especially with my other group SHADYON. We share a common vision and influences and his work goes beyond recording since he brings many proposals on songs (by the way in wrote 2 songs on our last album LONELY EYE MOVEMENT)

How did Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz from Domain (and many other bands) become involved with Devoid and what was it like working with him on Cup Of Tears?

I have always been a fan of Carsten as a singer (I discovered him with Evidence One). I asked him on the basis of a simple demo and he immediately joined the project. He embellished the songs thanks to his fabulous vocal parts. This guy knows how to write memorable choruses. For our 2nd album he wrote all the texts which testifies even more to his involvement in DEVOID.

Magnus Karlsson of Primal Fear also appears on Cup Of Tears. What was it like working with him and how did he become involved?

Magnus is one of my biggest influences in terms of songwriting. I offered him the title The Clock Is Ticking and he recorded a direct solo...and wow...Stunning! I’m a fan of LAST TRIBE and I wanted to seize the opportunity to be able to share the guitar solos on a track with him.. and it’s done ;- ) it’s a great honor for me ...subliminal message ...I dream of a new Last Tribe album. Witchdance is just perfect.

Lonely Eye Movement, the 2nd Devoid album, was released during the pandemic last year on Frontiers. What was it like releasing an album during that time and did the title have anything to do with the pandemic?

The pandemic played a little on my mind and I took refuge in the composition with the help of my so talented partner Jorris Guilbaud with whom I co-wrote almost the entire album. It was therefore a rather special period which, if we want to remain positive, will have been favorable to my creativity. I am quite lonely so I was not too affected by this period of confinement

If Devoid could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?

I would love to play with Winger, Evergrey or TOTO!!

Anything happening with Shadyon – new music maybe?

Yes, the 3rd album is finished. We plan to release this new album on 2023. There is a fantastic new line up with our new drummer Walter, and he co-wrote the songs with us. He is a fantastic drummer and so talented songwriter .

Are either or you currently involved with bands or projects outside of Devoid or Shadyon?

The 3rd DEVOID is written and currently I’m working on a new very epic project .. secret for the moment and no deadline. I’ll see when it comes out. As soon as things are more built I will reveal the details :-)

What’s up next for Devoid?

As I said the songs are written (only demo for the moments) need to add vox etc…I ll fix all the stuff in 2023 with the same line up .

Any final words of wisdom?

Music is the language of emotions.