Artist  : VOID
Album   : Void
Year    : 2011

Genre   : Black Metal
Label   : Duplicate Records
Cat.nr  : DUPLO 38

Source  : CDDA
R.date  : 05.03.2011
Size    : 60,6 MB

Encoder : LAME 3.97 -V2 --vbr-new
Bitrate : avg. 228kbps
Quality : 44,1kHz/Joint-Stereo

Website : http://www.facebook.com/VoidUK

Tracklist:

01.  Cicatrix                                          01:47
02.  Alligator X-Ray                                   02:43
03.  Ego Tranquilizer                                  06:15
04.  Where Red Limbs Stir                              05:11
05.  Cypher                                            04:55
06.  Feral                                             06:52
07.  Exempt                                            03:21
08.  Spectre                                           01:11
09.  Babylon                                           03:43

35:58

Release Notes:

It was all perfectly clear: this review was to
begin with underlining how brilliant Void's debut,
'Posthuman' was, and that it is great to see this
band return to the fold. However, sometimes
reality catches you and it is with sadness that I
have to inform you that vocalist Ben Lowe, who
debuted on this second, self-titled album, is no
more. R.I.P.! This of course puts 'Void' into a
whole new perspective. Nevertheless we should try
to judge this album as fairly as possible, and
since this is truly a fine return to form, that
actually shouldn't be that difficult.

Like said before 'Posthuman' is a great, of not
essential album, but Void fell silent when
original vocalist Kvohst left for Code and later
D°dheimsgard. A whopping nine years later the band
returns, this time with a full line-up, including
a human drummer. Unsurprisingly, this means that
this sophomore album sounds a lot more organic. In
fact, Void have taken such an organic route that
even the production has taken a rather drastic
turn, sounding more like a (more than adequate)
rehearsal room recording than something that was
recorded in a 'proper' studio'.

Void's kinship with Ved Buens Ende and,
especially, DHG, is still pretty obvious though.
Despite shedding the '666 International'-like
electronics, 'Void' still wouldn't have been out
of place in the DHG discography, but what this
second incarnation of the band has made, sounds
more like a perfectly logical bridge between
'Monumental Possession' and 'Satanic Art'. Hell,
'Ego Tranquilizer' has a riff that is about as
confusing and enthralling as that famous
completely demented riff in 'Traces Of Reality'
and that's downright impressive. Moreover, they
seem to have found their own Czral: drummer Joe
Burwood's ultra-fast and creative drumming is just
great!

Don't get the impression though that Void are all
about DHG worship, because they do have an
identity of their own. Most of all they're great
songwriters in their own right, making 'Void' an
enticing, rapidly progressing listen. The only
downside is that the best song on this record is,
ironically, a rerecorded version of 'Cypher' from
their debut. This suggest that there is some
middle ground to be found between Void's early
electronics and their current organics, but that's
all the more promising for the future; let's just
say that break beats played by a proper drummer
always do the trick.

With their surprising return, Void prove that it's
still possible to keep the flame of postmodern
black metal alive, even when breathing some life
into it by replacing computers with actual human
beings. It is therefore even sadder to realise
that Ben Lowe's first album with Void is also his
last. He blended into the band's sound with such
ease that it seemed he was always part of it.
Apparently the rest of the band has decided to
continue, which is a good thing. Let's hope they
can build on this album, despite the tragedy that
surrounds it.