Genre : Instrumental technical death metal, Black metal,
Modern progressive metal, Djent, Ambient.
Released : March 11th, 2022
Label : 3 Dot Recordings
FFO : Periphery, Meshuggah, Behemoth, Infant Annihilator
It's always interesting to hear musicians explore different genres and go down certain alleys they usually wouldn't explore with their main band.
As such, hearing celebrated guitarists (and producer) Misha Mansoor and Mark Holcomb of Periphery fame dive into compositions that are more akin to technical death metal and black metal is quite thrilling, especially after such a long hiatus since their last release as Haunted Shores back in 2016.
Although rather short, "Void" condenses quite a lot of exhilarating material that combines the gritty atmospheres of black metal and the fast-paced ruthlessness of death metal along with the clean production style of modern progressive metal as well as its rhythm-focused approach to guitar.
However, the Achille's Heel of this record is that it lacks in emotion and intent for the most part, and the compositions, although exciting due to the musical prowess at work, can often feel a bit too pristine and mechanical to stir the soul.
The only times when it succeeds in doing so, is during the respite offered by the albums ambient tracks such as "Void", or when the more organic-sounding saxophone intervention of Jørgen Munkeby (Shining) sounds the album's grand finale.
Nevertheless, "Void" remains a very enjoyable instrumental metal project that could have hit an even bigger mark with me personally had it not felt so mechanically rigid in parts.
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