Label- Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date - 27 May 2022
Words- Chris Fletcher
With a sound that is unmistakably Scandinavian and an infectious energy that will have you both tapping your feet and questioning everything, Black Void are ready to unleash their debut record on the underground. The trio, comprising members of Borknagar and In Vain amongst others, have set out to make something that stands as the antithesis to their other project White Void, and this is exactly what they’ve done. With ‘Antithesis’ we get nine tracks of fury, channelling both punk rock and black metal which are fused together in a chaotic marriage that somehow makes perfect sense.
Along with the harsh black metal vocals - mostly present through the verses of these tracks - we also get plenty of hooks. Yes, you read that right. Clean choruses that are catchy as anything, surrounded by big riffs. Couple this with a gritty production job that suits the whole blackened shebang to a tee, and Black Void have conjured something that is really worth checking out.
Opening with semi eponymous track ‘Void’, the band come roaring out the gate with a relentless drive that sees us through the duration of the record. Second track ‘Reject Everything’ encapsulates perfectly what this collection of songs is about, both musically and thematically. With a focus on questioning accepted attitudes towards morals and ethics and building on the philosophical works of Nietzsche, this album is a real head scratcher in every regard. However, with that being said there is nothing that feels pretentious about it, it just feels like a good time.
In addition to this, final track ‘Dadaist Disgust’ (which features guest vocals from Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ) is a particular stand out of the record. Veering into more black n’ roll territory, it finishes the record with a more grand feeling that somehow feels right.
Whilst sister project White Void is a cleaner, hard rock affair, this is the opposite. This is nihilistic aggression in musical form. A raw tip of the cap to the respective histories of punk rock and black metal, fusing them in a violent cacophony of buzz-saw riffs, pounding drums, rumbling bass lines and actual choruses. If you want something to really think about, or if you just want to bang your head, Black Void has you covered.
8/10.
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